Joe Biden Tells Mayor Adams No On Migrant Funding
Mayor Eric Adams’ sole approach to the migrant crisis, which has led to a significant increase in the city’s homeless-shelter population, is centered on obtaining substantial funding from the federal government. However, this strategy has proven unsuccessful for over a year due to two distinct political reasons from the perspective of national Democrats.
At its most optimistic outcome, receiving federal aid would be devoid of purpose, considering that New York is firmly entrenched as a Democratic stronghold. At its worst, such assistance might exacerbate the issue and draw attention to undecided voters on the national stage.
Persistently pursuing the same approach and expecting different results could be considered a form of irrationality. Mayor Adams continues to employ this strategy, as evidenced by his recent statement, “New Yorkers have been left to deal with this crisis almost entirely on our own,” while pressing for Washington’s involvement. This stance, however, disregards the fact that New York’s policies have contributed to the very crisis at hand.
Though President Joe Biden has not effectively addressed border security and rational immigration policies, New York stands alone in attempting the impractical task of providing indefinite shelter to every individual arriving in the city, regardless of their origin or circumstances. This approach contradicts the historical pattern where immigrants sought out unofficial employment and housing solutions.
Mayor Adams employs the pretext of the city’s “right to shelter” obligation to justify his actions. However, the basis of this obligation, as determined by the state’s highest court, remains unclarified: whether aiding the “needy” under the state Constitution creates an entitlement to shelter. The mayor could challenge the applicability of this supposed “right” to individuals without connections to the city, yet he has not pursued this avenue.
Instead, Mayor Adams has replicated past instances, such as after 9/11, during the 2008 financial crisis, and throughout the COVID pandemic, by seeking federal funds from Washington. This recurrent pattern prompts the question of what President Biden gains from this arrangement.
For New Yorkers who find the lack of attention from the federal government unsatisfactory, the possibility of supporting Donald Trump might arise. It’s worth noting that during 9/11, the governor and mayor were Republicans, and the city benefited from personal associations between the presidents during subsequent crises.
With President Biden lacking personal ties to New York and the state unlikely to play a significant role in the upcoming year, the political advantages of allocating federal funds to New York are minimal. While it may seem favorable to pledge substantial funds to house migrants in midtown Manhattan, this decision would resonate globally and potentially incentivize further border crossings.
Similarly, Mayor Adams’ proposal for federal housing of migrants in Brooklyn (Floyd Bennett Field) and Staten Island (Fort Wadsworth) encountered a setback when the White House rejected the Brooklyn site, leading to a public embarrassment for the governor who made the request.
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