Mayor Eric Adams says NYC has a humanitarian and legal responsibility to find shelter for asylum seekers from Texas
NEW YORK -- New York City says nearly 5,000 people seeking asylum have arrived from Texas.
Mayor Eric Adams joined CBS News New York on Friday morning to discuss what's being done to help them.
"Not only is this a humanitarian response we're doing, but by law we're required to ensure that anyone that arrives in this city should have shelter if they need it," the mayor said.
Another bus arrived Friday at Port Authority Bus Terminal with nearly 90 asylum seekers, including at least five minors.
"There's a way we should coordinate that on the federal, state and city levels. That was not done at all," said Adams. "That not only overburdens the system here in New York, but it also is unfair to those who were shoved out of Texas."
"I'm working with my colleagues across city government to make sure that we provide the assistance that asylum seekers need in our city, and we're proud of what we're doing for these families," an immigration affairs worker said.
City officials say some of the biggest concerns right now are how they're reaching their final destinations and the separation of families.
"We've learned at least about several families that have been separated. Some have remained in Texas and others have come. We have one family, a gentleman who was separated from his wife, who is pregnant," said Manuel Castro, commissioner for the mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott started what he calls Operation Lone Star in April and says it's necessary to relieve the burden on border cities.
Adams has called Abbott an "anti-American governor" for his actions and talked about sending bus loads of New Yorkers to Texas to campaign against him.
"I don't believe that he's the type of person that should be running a state as important as Texas, and whatever I can do to assist in having him removed is what I'm going to do," the mayor said Friday.
Critics have called Operation Lone Star a political stunt.
