If anyone understands the disruptive effects of callous politicians relocating migrants to unprepared communities, it is New York City Mayor Eric Adams. According to the city’s records, over 90,000 migrants have been brought in since last spring, with some being transported north by Texas Governor Greg Abbott as a showman’s act.
So why has Mayor Adams followed in Abbott’s footsteps by sending a substantial number of migrants to Rotterdam, an upstate town, without even informing the town supervisor or the county manager? These public officials, like Adams, have the responsibility of staying informed about such matters.
These officials may also have to assist indigent individuals, who have been displaced due to the sudden arrival of these guests, in finding new housing. They may need to coordinate multiple health and human services agencies to provide assistance to the newcomers, considering language barriers. Furthermore, they would have to address concerns from community members about the long-term implications of this influx. These officials are the ones who ultimately bear the responsibility for the situation.
These challenges only scratch the surface of the complexities that local officials are likely to confront after Mayor Adams’ administration arranged for a group of individuals claimed to be asylum-seekers to be housed in a Super 8 motel in Rotterdam last week. The motel evicted its current guests, including some indigent individuals being accommodated by Schenectady County. However, New York City officials later stated that they have arranged alternative housing for these residents.
Nonetheless, the damage has already been done. Such logistical mishaps feed into the perception that the arrival of asylum seekers and other immigrants could somehow harm the existing community. This xenophobic viewpoint is undoubtedly misguided. However, certain politicians and commentators have made careers out of fanning the flames of this narrative.
This is not the first time that Mayor Adams has left the Capital Region communities scrambling. Albany County officials had the same criticisms when New York City made a similar move in late May.
While Mayor Adams is rightly being criticized for his poor communication, it is crucial not to lose sight of the fact that neither he nor Governor Abbott (or the copycat Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida) can be blamed for the root cause of the immigration crisis. The immediate responsibility lies with President Joe Biden, a Democrat, as the recent surge in immigration has occurred under his watch. Ultimately, Congress carries the responsibility, where Republicans have long obstructed a comprehensive approach to immigration that combines border security with pathways to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants residing in the country.
In the absence of any progress at the federal level, it falls upon states and localities to address this issue. While there are anti-immigrant leaders who would prefer to exploit this situation for political gain or engage in reprehensible practices like Texas’s placement of concertina wire underwater in the Rio Grande, there are many others who genuinely want to contribute and provide assistance. Out of respect for their communities and leadership, they deserve advance notice and an opportunity to prepare, metaphorically speaking.
So, here’s a suggestion for Mayor Adams if he ever decides to make his problem someone else’s problem: simply pick up the phone and communicate.
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