Newsman: Buses carrying asylum seekers from Texas are arriving New York City. On Tuesday another group of buses carrying asylum seekers arrived in New York City. More buses are expected, not just from the state of Texas but separately from the county of El Paso, which just chartered a bus that departed Tuesday.
According to Mayor Eric Adams, at least 7,600 migrants have gone through the city’s shelter system since earlier this summer, though the exact number of people who have arrived is not known — as not all have arrived on buses and not everyone has stayed in a city shelter.
A total of 83 people, including 15 children, arrived Tuesday morning, and officials here anticipate it will continue until the November election.
“We saw people who came thirsty, hungry, a few medical conditions that we needed to address immediately,” Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro said.
Officials are working to expand already strained resources, including a shelter system that’s almost at capacity.
The goal is to open a large shelter than can house the asylum seekers, but for now, smaller ones are open throughout the city, including the latest one that opened Monday on the Upper West Side.
“It is so important that our city is there and responsive to the needs of migrants that are coming through our borders,” City Council member Shaun Abreu said. “These are folks, these are children who are going to be going to school in the next two weeks. We need to make sure they have a safe place to live, a neighborhood that will welcome them.”
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In addition to shelters, the city had opened a resource center for the migrants, a one stop shop for them to get any help they may need upon their arrival in New York City.
“We’re very proud to be opening a navigation center where asylum seekers will be able to connect to legal services, will be able to connect with our education system, and to a whole variety of services that they’re entitled to as New Yorkers,” Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro said.
City officials have vowed to provide all resources possible to the asylum seekers, while continuing to call out Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to bus the migrants.
Texas Governor Abbott, however, says busing the migrants is providing relief to overwhelmed border communities.
With the start of school just around the corner, city officials unveiled “Project Open Arms,” a plan to make sure the migrant children are able to start classes on time and to make sure they and their families have the resources they need to adjust.
