Eric Adams claims cities should not be ‘handling national problems’ amid migrant crisis

New York City Mayor Eric Adams claimed Tuesday that major cities in the United States should not be “handling national problems” as cities continue to receive busloads of immigrants from the southern border.

The mayor, who has repeatedly asked for help from the Biden administration on the migrant crisis, said that other cities are starting to join him in calling for the White House to provide serious help for cities receiving migrants. In April 2022, Adams had been “alone on this topic,” but other mayors have since joined him in asking for help, he claimed during a press conference.

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“And I’m not only talking about New York,” Adams said. “Chicago, Los Angeles, El Paso, Brownsville, all of these cities, Houston. You know, cities should not be handling national problems. And so I don’t have the real understanding of — I’m hoping that our national leaders understand that becomes a real immigration reform, a decompression strategy, pick up the price tag of this issue, and allow people to work. I sound like almost a broken record, it’s the same thing! People should be allowed to work in this country.”

Adams has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration’s handling of immigration in the U.S., stating earlier this month that city officials have had to explain to city residents the administration has “abandoned this important issue.” His statement came as officials have said that New York City has seen more than 150,000 migrant arrivals since spring 2022, with more than 67,000 immigrants staying in city homeless shelters.

Last week, the mayor joked that on some mornings, he looks at himself and chooses to “give myself the finger” when discussing how some city residents give him the finger amid his handling of the numerous immigrants who are sent to the city.

In November, Adams was joined by fellow mayors of major cities, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, and Los Angeles, who penned a letter to President Joe Biden asking for a meeting to address the migrant crisis.

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Mayors throughout the U.S. are not the only ones asking Biden to act on illegal immigration, with Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) stating last week that various areas near the southern border are “beyond a breaking point” and that he is “tired of the do-nothings.”

Last week, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that there is “probably more” the White House and Biden administration can do to address the border crisis. However, Kirby claimed that the U.S. would need to be “in full partnership with Mexican authorities” in order to bring about effective change.