NYC Mayor Eric Adams Signs Executive Order Limiting Migrant Bus Arrivals

The order comes after 14 charter buses of migrants arrived in New York from Texas on a single night last week.

To control the arrival of migrants Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is sending to New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has signed an executive order limiting when charter buses can drop off migrants in the city.

The New York Times reports Adams’ executive order will require charter bus companies to provide 32 hours of advance notice before the migrants arrive and limit the times of day they can be dropped off.

The order comes after 14 charter buses of migrants arrived in New York From Texas on a single night last week, the highest one-day total since last spring. The migrant crisis has consumed the Adams administration, a reason why his approval rating hit a historic low of 28% earlier this month.

Adams held a virtual conference with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who have also signed similar executive orders, to discuss the safety of migrants and getting the right resources to help them.

“We cannot allow buses with people needing our help to arrive without warning at any hour of day and night,” Adams said during the conference. “To be clear, this is not stopping people from coming, but about ensuring the safety of migrants and making sure they can arrive in a coordinated and orderly way.”

Those who violate the order will face Class B misdemeanor charges resulting in three months in jail and a $500 fine for individuals and a $2,000 fine for corporations. The New York Police Department may also seize buses violating the order.

Abbott has sent thousands of migrants to New York, Denver, and Chicago over the last two years, which has strained city budgets as millions have been spent millions to shelter and feed migrants. All three mayors again demanded that the Biden administration and the federal government step up.

“We cannot continue to do the federal government’s job,” Adams said according to the Times.

In August, senior advisor to the president, Tom Perez, met with Adams to discuss the crisis and ways to help. However, Biden administration officials and the Department of Homeland Security pointed the finger at Adams, criticizing him for having “no exit strategy” for the 10,000 refugees the city takes in each month.

It’s unclear if Adams’ executive order will work. Johnson signed a similar order limiting drop-off points and when buses can bring in migrants. However, Abbott has continued to send buses that are dropping migrants off in Chicago’s suburbs.