As sanctuary cities struggle with the immigrant influx, Democratic Mayors warn that their cities are reaching total capacity. In their latest plea to Biden for assistance, Democrat Mayors explained their cities are facing harsh challenges.
Mayors Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Eric Adams of New York, and Mike Johnston of Denver held a virtual news conference. They asked for increased coordination with Texas as the state continues to send busloads of immigrants to Democratic-led cities.
In addition, the mayors blasted Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), who began busing immigrants to sanctuary cities in April 2022. Consequently, cities like Chicago, Denver, and New York struggle with an overwhelming migrant population.
“We cannot allow buses with people needing our help to arrive without warning at any hour of day and night,” NYC Mayor Eric Adams said during the conference. “This not only prevents us from assisting in an orderly way, it puts those who have already suffered so much in danger,” he added.
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Despite the pleas and complaints, more asylum-seekers continue to arrive by bus in the sanctuary cities. Consequently, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warned that the mayors are running out of housing options and resources. He said, “Our cities have reached a point where we are either close to capacity or nearly out of room.”
According to reports, over 26,000 immigrants have arrived in the Windy City since August 2022. Despite taking its toll on the city, Chicago continues to accept buses of immigrants. However, it severely restricts when and where arrivals can occur.
Hence, buses must drop migrants during approved weekday hours, and city officials designated a specific migrant drop-off zone. Also, they limited arrivals to two per hour. However, Chicago is suing bus companies and approved penalties on Dec. 13 to impound buses and fine erring owners.
POLL — Should the U.S. Government Create a Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants?
If the buses do not follow Chicago’s rules limiting the time and frequency of arrivals, owners could pay up to a $3,000 fine. However, city officials alleged that bus drivers started dropping off migrants in the suburbs and at unauthorized venues.
According to the officials, the bus drivers did so to avoid the restrictions and fines. Most recently, buses dropped off at a Naperville Metra transit station and sent immigrants into Chicago via train. “The lack of care that has been on display for the last year and a half has created an incredible amount of chaos,” Johnson said.
Similarly, Adams said New York plans to place such restrictions on buses unloading immigrants into the city. He ordered buses to arrive at a single drop-off site between 8:30 a.m. and noon on weekdays. If not, the bus companies face fines, impounding, and lawsuits.
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Like Chicago, New York has opened its arms to undocumented migrants. Consequently, over 161,000 immigrants in New York have sought aid since spring 2022. According to Adams and other officials, this includes 4,000 migrants during the festivities.
Denver, which has received over 35,000 immigrants over the last year, also has weekday drop-offs limited to specified hours. Consequently, in their plea for federal assistance, the mayors pointed to several things to help with the migrant crisis.
They pointed to the hundreds of millions of dollars they spent on immigrant housing, transportation, and medical care. Also, they pointed to other forms of assistance that can help the states survive the migrant crisis.
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