The renowned public intellectual Irving Kristol once coined the term “neoconservative” as “a liberal who has been mugged by reality.” Similarly, a convert to immigration restrictionism can be defined as a big-city mayor who is grappling with a surge of illegal immigrants in his city. In Mayor Eric Adams’ desperate appeal for federal assistance in dealing with approximately 100,000 illegal immigrants who have entered New York City since spring 2022, he is unequivocally validating the more stringent stance on immigration. The influx of illegal immigrants has shattered the tired clichés that have long defined the progressive stance on the issue. If immigration is an indisputable benefit, then the influx of immigrants should undoubtedly be advantageous for the Big Apple and its future. If immigrants entail no cost, then why is New York spending $5 billion this year alone to accommodate this influx? According to Adams, New York City is being decimated by the migrant crisis, proving that immigration, in and of itself, possesses the power to bring a great city to its knees. Gone are the days when Adams pledged to elevate immigrants to the same level as Lady Liberty, symbolizing hope for all those who arrive on American shores. Now, he echoes the sentiments of Donald Trump or a late Roman emperor, overwhelmed by an influx of Vandals and Goths. New York has actively discouraged immigrants, rebuffing new migrants from entering the city. Flyers distributed at the border explicitly state the exorbitant cost of housing in New York City, essentially urging potential immigrants to consider other cities in the US for settlement. Adams is beginning to realize the crucial questions pertaining to immigration: How many immigrants will there be, where will they come from, what skills will they possess, and what will they contribute once they are here? The fact of the matter is that an overwhelming influx of low-skilled migrants, lacking community connections, becomes an unbearable burden, as the border regions have already learned. Unique circumstances, such as the inability of asylum-seekers to work until their applications are processed for six months and New York City’s right-to-shelter law, have added to the financial strain. If asylum-seekers, many of whom submit baseless claims, were immediately granted work permits, it would further incentivize illegal immigration. Even areas without New York’s shelter laws are strained by the arrival of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration, prompting declarations of states of emergency. While there has been a recent wave of migrants, immigrants to America, in general, heavily rely on public resources due to their impoverished conditions and limited education. An analysis of Census Bureau data by the Center for Immigration Studies reveals that 58% of households headed by immigrants in New York state are beneficiaries of at least one welfare program. Even if illegal immigrants themselves may not technically qualify for some of these programs, their US-born children do. As seen in the current crisis, if people arrive in need of housing, medical care, and education, denying them these basic necessities becomes implausible. To his credit, Adams has been shifting the focus towards the federal government’s failures at the border. However, an important aspect of Adams’ immigration plan was impeding federal enforcement, which now seems misguided. What New York City truly desires, despite the repetitive references to the Statue of Liberty, is a reduction in the number of immigrants vying with city residents for limited resources and attention. This is a reasonable request to make. Welcome to the real world, Mayor Adams.
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