Adams rebukes Texas governor for ‘targeting’ cities with Black mayors to bus asylum-seekers

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) blasted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for his move on Monday to resume busing migrants to cities led by Black mayors, including New York City, across the United States.

“Not only is this behavior morally bankrupt and devoid of any concern for the well-being of asylum-seekers, but it is also impossible to ignore the fact that Abbott is now targeting five cities run by Black mayors,” Adams tweeted. “Put plainly, Abbott is using this crisis to hurt Black-run cities.”

“Last year, Abbott bused migrants to New York against their will, reportedly had security guards hold them hostage on buses when they tried to get off in other cities, shipped them off while sick and COVID positive, and tagged individuals with barcodes,” he added.

Adams said he learned Abbott planned to send more migrants to five cities — New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver and Washington, D.C. — over the weekend, saying the Texas governor wants “to play politics with people’s lives.” He has previously criticized other states for sending migrants to a small number of cities and said earlier this year that it is “unfair” that local governments need to bear the burden of what he called a “national obligation.”

Adams also noted the crisis of migrants is too much for one city to take on and called on the federal government to send additional resources and support, adding that the border states’ leadership has created a “vacuum” concerning the migrant crisis.

“Despite Abbott’s inhumane actions, New York City will continue to do all it can to handle this influx, but this crisis is more than one city can handle,” he said. “With a vacuum of leadership from border states, we need the federal government to step in and provide us with support and to prevent this cruelty from continuing.”

Adams’s comments come just a day after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) sent a letter to Abbott urging him to cease sending migrants to Chicago by reiterating that the city has “no more shelters, spaces, or resources” to address another flood of migrants to the city.

The Hill has reached out to Abbott’s office for comment.