Stunning new footage has brought New York City's refugee crisis to light as hundreds of people – mostly young men – lined up in Manhattan to seek shelter.
Footage that emerged Wednesday shows the latest group of migrants looking cold and miserable as they stood in a line that snaked around a building on East 7th Street in the East Village.
One of the hundreds of men told a reporter that he was from Venezuela and had recently arrived to meet other members of his family who were already in the Big Apple.
The alarming scene underscores Mayor Eric Adams' recent admission that NYC – proudly touted as the model of Democrats' “sanctuary city” policies – is now at “breaking point.”
More than 160,000 migrants have arrived in the city since spring 2022, and the crisis is only worsening as they continue to arrive by bus from Texas, where record numbers are pouring across the border.
The footage shows the latest group of migrants looking cold and miserable as they stood in a line that snaked around a building on East 7th Street in the East Village
The alarming scene underscores Mayor Eric Adams' recent admission that NYC – proudly touted as a model of Democrats' “sanctuary city” policies – is now at “breaking point.”
About 300,000 people crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in December – the highest monthly number ever, while more than 785,000 people have entered since October – marking the highest quarterly figure on record.
Adams confessed to Fox 5's Rosanna Scotto earlier this week, “We're approaching somewhere between 2,500 and a high of 4,000 a week.”
“What happens when there’s no more room?” Scotto asked at one point during the interview, where the 63-year-old Brownsville native sat across from her in front of several American — and a New York — flags.
“We didn’t just say in passing that we no longer have space,” Adams replied, referring to the more than 161,000 migrants who have arrived since spring 2022 and have sought city help.
“We literally have no room left,” said the Democrat. “At some point people will be sleeping on the streets.”
Adams responded that he simply could not because of laws that prohibit both state and local officials from enforcing federal immigration laws.
“I don’t have the authority to tell people they can’t come to New York City,” Adams told an unsuspecting Scotto, who continued to ask, “Why not?”
“That’s against the law,” he replied, clearly angry at the question. Then he said it a second time and reiterated, “This is against the law.”
Estimates from earlier this week show the city has spent $2 billion housing the migrants and continues to pour money into the crisis.
One of the hundreds of men told a reporter that he was from Venezuela and had recently arrived to meet other members of his family who were already in the Big Apple
The mayor revealed that the city's status as a “sanctuary” had affected his ability to deal with the crisis
Estimates from earlier this week show the city has spent $2 billion housing the migrants and continues to pour money into the crisis
Poll after poll shows that New Yorkers are dissatisfied with how the Biden administration is handling the current situation after providing just $140 million to the city.
Mayor Adams has had to travel to Washington more than 10 times in the last few times to ask for more help as he faces a projected $12 billion in costs if the crisis continues.
These calls have so far gone unanswered and the Big Apple appears to be on its own for now.
Meanwhile, earlier this year it was revealed that a record number of migrants crossed the US southern border in December, surpassing the highest number under President Biden.
Republicans have seized on border security issues as a major issue in the 2024 election, creating a political headache for President Biden.
The Texas National Guard detains migrants crossing the Rio Grande to seek humanitarian asylum before crossing the United States border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, January 2, 2024
A migrant crosses the Rio Grande on January 2, 2024, holding his child in the air to prevent him from getting wet
Speaker Mike Johnson and 60 House Republicans will tour the U.S.-Mexico border at Eagle Pass today as part of their campaign trail.
The group, moderated by Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who represents the region, will hear from the Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety and other stakeholders, and tour the region.
It is the first large congressional delegation to the border led by the new speaker.
In December, Johnson sent a letter calling on President Biden to immediately use executive powers to stem the flow of migrants.
The speaker directed the president to end “catch and release” and to only turn away and parole all migrants encountered between ports of entry “on a case-by-case basis.”
He also called on the president to reinstate Trump-era measures such as building the wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program and expanding expedited deportation for those who cannot prove they are eligible for asylum.