As America continues to experience a surge of migrants, several lawmakers have stirred up some controversy thanks to their opinions on the matter. Recently, the Democratic mayor of Edison, New Jersey, was criticized for saying that immigrants “aren’t welcome.” His statement comes after thousands of migrants have arrived in several “sanctuary cities.”
Both Republican and Democratic mayors have a lot on their plates right now. There are thousands of migrants being transported to cities like New York and Chicago from the U.S.-Mexico border towns.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there were over 2.4 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in the 2023 fiscal year. Meanwhile, back in 2021, the encounters were just about 1.7 million.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been leading efforts to bus migrants from border cities to other parts of America. However, he has faced lots of criticism, with people accusing him of turning migrants into political pawns. Even the White House has described Gov. Abbott’s actions as “cruel, dangerous and shameful.”
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Nonetheless, Abbott has justified the busing of migrants, pointing out how Texas’ border towns are becoming overwhelmed with migrants. Since the busing began, some lawmakers have changed their position on immigration.
Some Democratic mayors are leaning towards stricter migration laws and have blamed President Joe Biden’s border security for making it easier for migrants to enter the U.S. illegally. Sanctuary cities are now forced to manage available resources to support migrants.
Democratic mayor of Edison, Sam Joshi, is one of the mayors grappling with the pressure of migration. Earlier this month, Joshi told the press that his city cannot welcome new immigrants. This statement sparked a backlash from lawmakers and members of his community.
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However, Mayor Joshi responded to the criticism in a statement to Newsweek last Monday. “As the son of immigrants, I understand this issue very well. Edison has a large immigrant population, and the overwhelming majority of Edison residents, most notably the immigrant community, support my position, and I’m proud to represent their best interests,” he said.
In an earlier interview with local media, Joshi had stated that he wanted to “make it clear that our position in Edison township is that they’re not welcome here.” He also said, “They’re illegal, and they belong on the other side of the border. We don’t want them in Edison, period. That’s the bottom line.” He added that he would order the city’s police to transport migrants on buses to “the other side of the border.”
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Furthermore, Joshi posted a video on his Facebook page, saying that the federal government should tackle the migrant issue. “Edison does not have the financial or social service resources required. We cannot afford to put them in long-term hotel stays or provide housing or educational services to our already overcrowded schools,” he said. However, not everyone in Edison agrees with the mayor.
Edison City Councilmember Ajay Patil also condemned Joshi’s remarks. “I’m really disappointed in the mayor, who happens to be the son of immigrants. I don’t think you really understand what immigration means. I don’t think. Otherwise, he would not have given any statement in the media. He could have stayed out. Edison is more than 50 percent immigrants. They are the backbone of this town. I’m shocked the mayor would go to the extremes,” he said.
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