NYC’s emergency declaration over migrant arrivals in stark juxtaposition with RGV

The history of U.S. cities scrambling to address a humanitarian crisis when thousands of migrants arrive at their doorstep is now playing out far from the border in New York City where the mayor just announced a state of emergency on Friday. “This is a humanitarian crisis that started with violence and instability in South America, and it is being accelerated by American political dynamics,” Eric Adams, New York City’s mayor, said during a news conference. State law enforcement from Texas, Arizona and Florida is placing migrants on state-sponsored charter buses and sending them to the east coast. Gov. Greg Abbott gave the order to begin the practice in March.

“Texans cannot continue to shoulder the burdens imposed by open-border advocates in other parts of the country,” the governor said in his letter to the Texas Division of Emergency Management at the time. Adams called their situation a manufactured crisis since the political tactic targeted only the Democratic so-called sanctuary cities. Now, the city is overwhelmed by the need created after more than 17,000 migrants were sent to the east coast city since April. Adams warned their economy could soon fold. “It is burning through our city’s budget,” Adams said. But while New York City, which operates on a budget of about $100 billion, struggles to stay afloat, McAllen officials, who just approved a $600 million budget, are relieved with the number of migrants received in their city during the same time period, though it’s double that of New York City’s total. “Nowadays, it kind of seems like it’s easy, even though I shouldn’t say that,” Javier Villalobos, McAllen’s current mayor said. “But it is, compared to the way it was last year.”