New York City’s Democratic Mayor, Eric Adams, recently unveiled significant budget cuts, redirecting taxpayer funds to address the growing challenges posed by the increasing influx of illegal migrants. The aftermath of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies has seen leaders in border states transporting illegal aliens to designated “sanctuary” cities like NYC, Chicago, and Washington D.C.
As was previously reported, Mayor Adams disclosed the necessity of imposing substantial budget reductions on the city’s police force and education department to manage the financial strain caused by the surge in illegal border crossings. Adams’ budget cuts, totaling $4 billion, will result in a freeze on police hiring, reducing the number of NYPD officers to below 30,000. Additionally, the Education Department budget will face cuts exceeding $1 billion over the next two years, impacting various school programs and libraries.
In contrast to some Democratic mayors, Adams has been forthright in assigning blame to the Biden administration for the crisis. He has openly criticized the federal government, accusing them of “abandoning” the deeply Democratic city. On Monday, the mayor asserted that the budget cuts directly stem from the Biden administration’s failure to address the ongoing border crisis, according to Politico.
“D.C. has abandoned us, and they need to be paying their cost to this national problem,” Adams told New Yorkers during a Brooklyn town hall.
“I tell people all the time when they stop me on the subway system, ‘Don’t yell at me, yell at D.C.,’” he added.
“We deserve better as a city.”
New York City has experienced an influx of illegal immigrants transported to the city after crossing the southern border in the last two years. The surge has overwhelmed city shelters, with more than 130,000 illegal immigrants seeking refuge since the previous year. Despite ongoing challenges, the flow of migrants shows no signs of abating.
Mayor Adams, expressing concern over the sustainability of the situation, disclosed that the city is currently receiving up to 4,000 migrants per week, a significant increase from the previous count of 2,400 individuals. In response to the strain on resources, the city officials announced cuts to police and education spending. Additionally, there are plans to reduce expenses related to “asylum-seekers” by 20%.
The immigration crisis has imposed a substantial financial burden on the city, prompting measures to address the escalating costs.
New York City officials estimate a spending of $12 billion on food and shelter for illegal immigrants through the 2025 fiscal year. Mayor Adams has consistently clashed with the Biden administration, urging more support and intervention to address the national humanitarian crisis at the southern border. Expressing frustration at handling the issue without adequate federal assistance, Adams emphasized that the recent budget cuts are just the beginning.
Despite multiple meetings between the mayor and Biden administration officials to discuss the border crisis’s impact on the city, substantial federal action has yet to materialize. Concurrently, Adams has become the subject of a federal investigation led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Biden. In a recent turn of events, the mayor canceled plans to meet with the administration after learning of an FBI investigation into his 2021 campaign’s alleged conspiracy with the Turkish government, leading to the confiscation of his cell phones by federal agents.