New York City Mayor Eric Adams, D, said Tuesday the migrant crisis in the U.S. was a "real embarrassment" and added that it was "unfair for local governments to have to take on this national obligation."
Adams joined the host of local radio affiliate WABC's "Sid and Friends in the Morning," Sid Rosenberg, on Tuesday. Rosenberg asked about the status of the migrant crisis in New York.
"It's a real embarrassment, I believe, on a national level, and we must have an appropriate response. We have had conversations around the issues on migrants for decades. This is a national issue. It must have a national response," Adams said.
The radio host also noted Adams had asked President Biden for $1 billion in emergency funding to help deal with the influx of migrants in New York City.
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"This is a Biden issue, a Democrat issue that now folks like you have to deal with. To be specific and fair, that's just the truth," Rosenberg said. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has sent several buses full of migrants to New York City in the last few months.
Adams said the president had an obligation to deal with the "immediate concerns" but that Congress needed to act as well.
"But when we talk about immigration, it is going to take a combination of the executive and the legislative body. We have to address this," Adams said.
The New York City mayor added that no city should have to decide between providing for their citizens and dealing with an "onslaught of migrants and asylum seekers."
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"This is just unfair for local governments to have to take on this national obligation. We've done our job. There's no more room at the end, but we are compelled by local laws here that we must provide shelter and continue to move in the right direction," he said.
New York City was struggling to find shelter for over 30,000 migrants in December and sent the emergency funding request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Adams declared a state of emergency due to the crisis in October.
