Two busloads of migrants shipped out of Texas arrived in Midtown Friday morning, as others high-tailed it out of the Big Apple after being unable to secure beds at overburdened local shelters.
The influx of asylum seekers from South and Central America to Port Authority comes as Mayor Eric Adams went on a morning talk show blitz, boasting that no one could have been as prepared for this crisis as his administration.
“We have a continuous display of humanitarian assistance as asylum seekers arrived here, and I’m really proud of the response of all of our multi agencies’ interaction,” Adams said in a phone interview with WCBS 880.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been sending busloads of migrants to majority Democrat cities like New York City and Washington DC, after blaming blue states and President Biden for lax immigration policies that have been drawing thousands of migrants to border towns in the Lone Star State.
New York City’s already strained shelter system has been called upon to accommodate the newcomers, who have been arriving in a steady stream and seeking aid.
On Friday, men, women and children bused in from Texas were met at Port Authority by volunteers with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, who helped them go through paperwork at a table laden with Dunkin’ Donuts refreshments.
There were also nurses on hand administering COVID tests to the group, as well as measuring their blood pressure and temperature.
Fresh-off-the-bus asylum seekers were offered takeaway containers of food, before moving to the next “station” with bags of clothes for them to take.
Migrants were then escorted out to the bustling transportation hub and ushered into cabs or ride-share cars. Some appeared confused and unsure where they were headed.
Meanwhile, the mayor touted his administration’s response to the migrant crisis.
“We’ve made sure shelter was allocated for close to 5,000 individuals,” he told WCBS. “The city has done an amazing job and the people that are employed in the agencies that must carry this out.”
When asked about reports that 600 asylum seekers were being housed in one Midtown shelter, which is a violation of a state law limiting shelters to 200 beds, Adams said he was not aware of that.
“I will look into it if that’s happening,” he said. “We will always follow the law. And if there are any missteps, we will always take corrective actions because our goal is to make sure we are using proper humanitarian response to this crisis we’re facing.”]
Adams also dispute reporting by The Post that migrants were receiving preferential treatment at city shelters compared to homeless locals, leaving some of them grumbling.
“That is not true. Everyone is treated with the level of dignity that they deserve,” Adams said during an interview with Fox 5’s “Good Day New York.”
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