Since early May, New York City has entrusted DocGo, a company awarded a $432 million contract by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, to handle the growing migrant crisis. However, the city comptroller, Brad Lander, recently rejected this contract due to concerns about the company’s lack of experience and performance thus far.
Despite the comptroller’s action, it is unlikely to untangle New York from its problematic association with a company ill-prepared to tackle the diverse humanitarian challenges of the current situation.
One of DocGo’s initial failures was its failure to communicate effectively with local officials in the locations where migrants were being sent. This lack of transparency led to confusion and logistical errors, causing chaos throughout the lower Hudson Valley, Capital Region, and beyond. While the Adams administration shares responsibility for these failures, DocGo must also be held accountable.
Another issue arose when the state discovered that some of the “security” workers assigned to the migrants lacked proper licensing and documentation. This revelation shouldn’t come as a surprise considering previous reports suggesting that these workers were mistreating the migrants, treating them as if they were prisoners, especially when journalists or advocates were present. These complaints are now being examined by the state attorney general’s office.
The most recent strike against DocGo, as reported by Joshua Solomon of the Times Union, concerns an interview given by the company’s CEO during an investment summit. His analysis of the current state of affairs, which seemed disturbingly gleeful, essentially boiled down to this: “Human suffering worldwide plus political gridlock in Washington equals huge profits for us.” Moreover, he made several statements that appear to be untrue, including the size of a federal contract DocGo is pursuing and the extent of its contracted services in New York. These statements had to be manipulated and revised by a public relations firm, likely aware that making false claims to potential investors could attract scrutiny from the federal Securities and Exchange Commission.
Taxpayers and elected officials across the state have witnessed enough. It is time to professionalize New York’s response to the migrant crisis by implementing stricter regulatory oversight of DocGo under the Adams and Hochul administrations. State agencies must also take a more direct role in housing and caring for migrants, despite the potential political risks involved in making such decisions.
Allowing DocGo to continue operating under its current practices may give elected officials a convenient scapegoat when things go wrong, but it is neither sound nor sustainable as public policy.
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