NYC Mayor Adams sues bus companies dropping off migrants for $700M

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his administration announced Thursday that they are suing 17 charter bus companies transporting migrants to the city for approximately $700 million.

Over the past two years, this migrant crisis has forced the city to have to make drastic budget cuts and open hundreds of new shelter sites across the five boroughs.

In the court filing, the city is seeking more than $700 million from these companies to cover the costs of caring and sheltering these migrants.

RELATED: Edison, NJ, mayor has bus ready to send migrants back to border

In the meantime, Adams’ executive order requiring that these bus companies only drop off migrants within a certain time frame and with at least 32 hours advance notice– is only partly working.

These buses have instead dropped off more than a thousand migrants since Saturday at train stations in New Jersey, in order to avoid any fines or penalties.

These companies then buy migrants train tickets to New York City, which is not covered under this executive order.

New Jersey police are also now reportedly helping guide migrants onto these trains headed out of the state and into New York City.

When asked why, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy claimed it is because federal resources are being directed to New York.

"New York City is where the federal resources are located and directed for these migrants, and that is a fact," Governor Murphy said in a gaggle to reporters on Wednesday.

But Adams’ team says that this is not true - the federal government has only allocated $150 million to aid the city in the migrant crisis and so far the city has only received $40 million of that money.

However, comparatively the city has already spent more than $3.1 billion, since the spring of 2022.

"New York City has led the nation in responding to this national humanitarian crisis, providing compassion, care, shelter, and vital services to more than 164,500 migrants who have come through our care since spring 2022," a spokesperson for Adams said. "While we are grateful for the help our federal partners have provided thus far, simply put, it’s not enough. We need meaningful financial help, expedited work pathways, and a national resettlement strategy."

Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul says she is planning a trip to Washington DC again to speak with the White House about the impact the migrant crisis is having on the state’s budget.

When asked why she is not asking Murphy to take in more migrants, Hochul said many migrants want to come to New York.

"They’re saying they want to go to New York City because of the right shelter," Hochul said referring to a court mandate that requires the city to provide shelter to anyone who needs it. New York City is the only city in the country to have this type of mandate in place.

Governor Kathy Hochul says she has also been urging New Jersey and counties surrounding New York City to implement a similar executive order to Adams’ that would limit how and when buses with migrants arrive.

So far only one town in Rockland County has done so. 

New York City's executive order

Adams's executive order, signed in December, requires charter buses transporting migrants to give the city at least 32 hours advance notice.

The order sets perimeters around dropoffs: between 8:30 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday at one designated spot within the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

If buses carrying migrants arrive outside the time frame and with no advance notice, the operators could be charged with Class B misdemeanors, possible fines, lawsuits, and their buses could be impounded.

City Hall warned that police would be waiting at Port Authority Bus Terminal in order to crack down on any new buses arriving outside those limits.