Migrants keep pouring into the United States.
In fact, from 1990 to 2006, Border Patrol encounters nearly always topped one million a year, with a peak of 1.6 million in 2000 – but these numbers were considered vast undercounts because migrants often evaded authorities as they entered the country. Now, migrants often turn themselves in so they can request asylum.
In recent years, the measures used to contain the Covid pandemic skewed the count. The government relied heavily on a public health tool called Title 42 to quickly eject people from the country. But there was no penalty so experts say migrants returned again and again, thus pushing up the statistics.
Decades ago, migrants arriving in the US were almost all Mexican nationals. Experts and officials note that migrants today arrive from a vast array of countries across South and Central America and Africa, as well as supposedly from China and India. Their disparate countries of origin complicate deportations, because they have to be flown. In some cases, migrants can’t be deported because the US has no agreement with their native countries, notably Venezuela.
As per a CNN report on September 21, Mexicans are still pouring in, even more than before. In July 2022, for example, US Customs and Border Protection figures indicate 4,000 Mexican family encounters at the border. A year later, that number had more than quadrupled, reaching nearly 22,000.
And then, the Joe Biden government on September 20, 2023 announced they were giving Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31. That makes it easier for them to work in the US.
Venezuelans make up such a large proportion of the people coming to the country that changing their status has an outsized effect. In New York City, about 40 percent of the rough 60,000 asylum seekers the city is paying to house are from Venezuela.
Not forgetting the fact that New York City (and Massachusetts) have right-to-shelter rules, meaning they must provide housing to people who need it with certain restrictions.
One news report is already claiming that New York City is gearing up to pay over $1 billion on just hotels over the next 3 years to house illegal immigrants.
“We are past our breaking point”, he said. “With more than 57,300 individuals currently in our care on an average night, it amounts to $9.8 million a day. Almost $300 million a month and nearly $3.6 billion a year”.
What Adams is saying is that NYC is hard-pressed to fulfill its obligation. As it is, the US government are already in financial distress.
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