NEW YORK (WABC) — Mayor Eric Adams has said many times that the migrant crisis will impact every single part of the city, and now we know he has directed all city agencies to cut their budgets by 5%.
That includes essential services like sanitation, the fire department and the NYPD.
Cuts could grow as high as 15% by next spring as the city has projected the cost of the migrant crisis to be $12 billion by fiscal year 2025.
Adams said it is his responsibility to warn New Yorkers that there will be cuts to city services without federal money to pay for asylum seekers.
“The economic impact of this on New Yorkers is going to be devastating and I must be honest with New Yorkers I can’t sugarcoat this, I can’t try to be politically correct,” Adams said. “I need to let New Yorkers know what we are facing so I’m sending off the warning signal to New Yorkers that if we don’t correct the course of this, this is going to have a devastating impact on our city.”
The city council speaker says she and the finance chair are reviewing the plan and asking for more details, but they echoed Adams saying there needs to be more federal and state help.
The mayor’s office says over 110,100 asylum seekers have come through the city’s intake system since spring 2022 and there are currently 59,800 migrants in their care.
The asylum seekers need housing and clothing, food and medical care, and in the case of children — education.
Andrew Rein of the non-partisan Citizens Budget Commission says the mayor has no choice.
“He needs to take those steps to run an efficient and effective government now, and with this migrant crisis, doubling the fiscal problem,” Rein said. “He is in a very, very serious time from New York and you need to take it seriously as he is.”
But some are questioning the mayor’s motives.
“Scapegoating asylum seekers,” said comptroller Brad Lander. “Will not improve education, public safety, housing affordability or quality of life for New Yorkers.”
The PBA president insists that the department is already understaffed.
“If City Hall wants to save money without jeopardizing public safety,” said Patrick Hendry. “It needs to invest in keeping experienced cops on the job.”
Just last week, Mayor Adams was blunt and said the ongoing migrant crisis will destroy New York City.
“Never in my life have I had a problem that I didn’t see an ending to, I don’t see an ending to this,” Adams said. “This issue will destroy New York City.”
The city also announced it will soon move women and children to congregate settings. Critics have said this is unsafe and it possibly violates the city’s right-to-shelter laws.
Up until this point, women and children have been given priority when it comes to hotel rooms, like at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
Adams’ administration said the city has opened 206 sites, including 15 large-scale humanitarian relief centers.
ALSO READ | Erie County stops accepting migrants from New York City after security concerns
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