During the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, officials encountered migrants who had unlawfully crossed the southern border into the United States on more than 2.76 million occasions. This staggering and record-setting influx of migrants has created a crisis situation in border states.
Over the past several months, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has sent many migrants to New York City by bus. According to the New York Post, an estimated 43,900 undocumented immigrants have arrived in New York City from Texas and other places since last spring. Gov. Abbott’s actions have met with a firestorm of opposition from voices on the political left who have accused the Governor of using needy migrants as political props. Last October, New York City Mayor Eric Adams described Gov. Abbott’s actions as “‘inhumane’” and “‘un-American.’”
On February 5, 2023, the New York Post reported that the Adams administration had provided migrants with taxpayer-funded bus tickets enabling them to travel to the Canadian border. The Mayor has denied that his administration’s actions are similar to the actions taken by the Abbott administration in Texas. Mayor Adams is right in one respect; by transporting migrants to New York City, Gov. Abbott did not encourage or facilitate the violation of another nation’s immigration laws. Unfortunately, by sending undocumented immigrants to the Canadian border, that is exactly what Mayor Adams has done.
At New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, we acknowledge that Christians and other well-intentioned persons may hold differing views on U.S. immigration policy. The crisis at our southern border is a multifaceted problem, and there are no easy answers. The latest news makes it clear that even America’s largest city is burdened and strained by the influx of migrants. It is hoped that this news from New York City will lead members of both parties to find immigration solutions that balance mercy and compassion with respect for the rule of law, for national security, and for private property.