Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has issued 30-day notices to adult Caribbean migrants urging them to “take the next step”, as the city currently oversees the care of over 60,000 asylum seekers.
With a daily arrival of 300 to 500 asylum seekers primarily from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Guatemala, and with limited state or federal support, Adams stated New York City is “full”. Over 116,000 asylum seekers have reached the city since last spring, stretching its resources thin.
60-Day Notices Issued
The mayor explained that in the last two months, numerous 60-day notices have been dispatched to adult asylum seekers, accompanied by enhanced casework services, assisting individuals in transitioning to alternate housing and reaching their final destinations.
Adams said, “adult asylum seekers who have not secured alternative housing after their current 60-day notice has expired, and who subsequently return to the Asylum Seeker Arrival Center, will receive a placement with an additional 30-day notice, coupled with further intensified casework services.”
NYC’s Blueprint for Asylum Seeker Crisis
The city unveiled “The Road Forward: A Blueprint to Address New York City’s Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis,” outlining strategies to manage the asylum seeker influx and seek support from federal and state partners.
However, immigrant advocates criticized Adams’ move. Murad Awawdeh, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), argued that Mayor Adams should instead facilitate the transition of both long-term shelter residents and asylum seekers into permanent housing, saving approximately three billion US dollars per year. Awawdeh added, “Doubling down on bad ideas… is just cold-hearted – and does nothing to solve our shelter crisis.”
Call for Proper Solutions for Unhoused People
Natalia Aristizabal, Deputy Director of Make the Road New York, stated that the Mayor is “legally and morally obligated to provide proper solutions for unhoused people,” condemning the 30-day notice as “cruel, unreasonable and unlawful.”
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