Gov. Kathy Hochul addresses migrants being bused to New York City from Texas with bar coded wristbands
NEW YORK -- Outrage continued Thursday after more migrants arrived in New York City on buses from Texas. The busloads of asylum seekers arrived at Port Authority and some still had bar codes on their wrists.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is working on several solutions, but said she's not wading into the ugly, "mano a mano" fight between Mayor Eric Adams and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, CBS2's political reporter Marcia Kramer reported.
Hochul, appalled migrants are being bar coded to keep track of them, said she hasn't tried to call Abbott because she only talks to people when there will be a "productive outcome."
"These are human beings. No one deserves to be treated like an animal," said Hochul, expressing dismay and outrage at the startling video obtained by CBS2 showing a group of asylum seekers sporting bar coded wristbands put on them in Texas.
The wristbands were cut off as they disembarked at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, reportedly by security workers hired by Abbott.
Watch: CBS2's Political Reporter Marcia Kramer's entire one-on-one interview with Gov. Kathy Hochul
Hochul agreed with New York City Immigration Commissioner Manuel Castro.
"Governor Abbott is bar coding people and treating them as less than human, as if they were cattle," Castro said. "It appears to us that asylum seekers are being asked to wear these bracelets with these bar codes to intimidate them, to scare them into remaining on these buses until they arrive in New York City."
While Texas officials insist they are continuing the bar coding program, the wristbands were not immediately visible on the new arrivals Thursday. City officials believe they are being cut off before they depart the buses to avoid the uproar.
"You should not be using human beings as political pawns," Hochul said.
In an exclusive interview marking her first year in office, Hochul told Kramer she has been talking to federal homeland security officials to get money to assist Adams in finding food, shelter and clothes for the migrants.
"We actually found another pot of money that we think can be deployed to help the situation when they arrive," Hochul said. "There is some federal money. There's another source of money that I've identified."
Hochul said she's also working with the feds to help the migrants find jobs.
"I put in a request for there to be some sort of possibly executive action that allows individuals who come here to have the ability to at least get a temporary work permit," Hochul said. "We have thousands of jobs here, not just in the city, but all over New York where people will become participating members of society very quickly, even while they're waiting their legal determination."
So far, the flow of buses from Texas shows no signs of abating. City officials think Abbott will keep sending buses at least through November to keep the issue alive in his bid for reelection. Abbott is being challenged by Democrat Beto O'Rourke, a former congressman.
