In a surprising turn of events, Democratic mayors in New Jersey seem to have different ideas about the best way to handle immigrants. An increasing number of immigrants are arriving in the state by bus. So, Democratic mayors are trying to figure out the best approach to bypass New York City’s latest restrictions.
A few weeks back, New York City Mayor Eric Adams ordered charter bus companies to provide the city’s emergency management officials with a manifest of their passengers. The order also requires them to provide a minimum of 32 hours prior notice before dropping off the passengers.
Mayor Adams’ order is similar to ordinances in Chicago. The buses are scheduled to arrive between 8:30 a.m. and noon on weekdays at a single loading zone.
According to New Jersey officials, they are now dropping off immigrants at specific train stations such as Jersey City, Secaucus, and Trenton. The move is strategic to bypass the mayor’s order. Hundreds of the immigrants being dropped off were sent from Texas by the Republican Governor. Greg Abbott.
On one hand, the mayors in New Jersey and New York believe that the current issue is Abbott’s fault. However, they have different ideas on how to handle the situation. In a Facebook post, Democratic Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said that he “instructed our law enforcement and emergency management departments to charter a bus to transport the illegal migrants right back to the southern Texas/Mexican border.”
ALSO READ: Migrant Buses Arrive in New York 48 Hours After Mayor Signs Bill to Curb Influx
“Our border policies need to be strengthened to stop illegal migrants from entering our country,” Joshi said, adding he’ll “support only legal immigration.” Following Joshi’s post, a fellow Democrat, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop responded, calling for a “statewide solution.” He also urged officials to be compassionate while handling the situation.
“We must be smart in how we approach this and have a statewide solution, but also we MUST be compassionate first here and help where we can,” Fulop said, acknowledging his family roots as refugees who arrived in the States after escaping the Holocaust.
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“My family came to the United States for safety after the Holocaust when nearly every person in my family was murdered. Importantly, most of these people are coming here because they are also desperate for safety, food, and life. We must be smart in how we approach this and have a statewide solution, but also, we MUST be compassionate first here and help where we can. Our values in Jersey City and New Jersey have never been about turning our back to people in need + we shouldn’t start now because a political sound bite is easy,” Fulop wrote on X.
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Furthermore, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora told Politico he wanted to give an executive order similar to Adam’s. However, he changed his heart after speaking with Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ). Mayor Gusciora also said that he would need the City Council’s cooperation.
“I think all municipalities and the city should have some certitude of how many visitors they’re getting,” Gusciora said. “And the times of their arrivals would be very helpful.”
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