Busloads of migrants are strategically getting dropped off at New Jersey rail stations in an attempt to evade an executive order from New York, raising concerns over the unexpected impact on local resources. City Mayor Eric Adams, Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli, and Governor Phil Murphy have been working together to try and resolve this problem.
“Adams issued an executive order requiring the bus companies to give the city at least 32 hours notice before dropping migrants and limiting drop-offs to between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. on weekdays so the city can adequately attend to the migrants’ safety and well-being,” a nj.com article about this issue said.
Many problems arose because of the new order established by City Mayor Eric Adams. Many people, including Mayor Gonnelli, suggested that his order may be too strict or inconvenient, leading to unanticipated repercussions for New Jersey and its residents.
“In the last month, 14,700 asylum seekers made their way across the U.S. southern border and wound up in New York City on buses. Buses are arriving at random locations throughout Midtown Manhattan at night and on weekends in what Adams described as a ‘humanitarian crisis’ that’s overwhelming the city,” Adams said.
Because of a dramatic increase in migrants arriving in New York City and different areas of New Jersey, there has been a lot of confusion for bus companies and other people who regularly use public transportation in these areas. However, many bus drivers are still figuring out ways to avoid the new order.
“It seems quite clear the bus operators are finding a way to thwart the requirements of the executive order by dropping migrants at the train station in Secaucus and having them continue to their final destination,” Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli said.
Although this issue is currently not nationwide, it is quickly becoming a growing concern and sheds light on a bigger problem throughout the nation. A major part of the problem is that new initiatives have been putting a major burden on migrant support resources in New York, New Jersey, and other Democratic-led cities.
“What started as a protest against Biden’s immigration and border policies has seen Texas and other mostly Republican-led states spend millions of dollars sending migrants to other parts of the U.S.,” Rebecca Falconer, the author of an Axios article regarding this issue said.
Despite the fact that the New York City order may have made things more difficult for migrants, both New Jersey and New York are working together to help migrants in these states.
“We need federal and state help to resettle and support the remaining 68,000 migrants currently in New York City’s care and the thousands of individuals who continue to arrive every single week,” Adams said.
