New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced aggressive questioning from Congress on both sides of the aisle on his handling of immigration during last Wednesday’s House of Representatives Oversight Committee Hearing on Sanctuary Cities.
Of particular interest to Long Islanders was U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen’s interrogation of the mayor on his use of taxpayer dollars to respond to the influx of migrants.
“On Long Island, every day, my constituents are dealing with the effects of the failure to secure our border and the influx of more than 670,000 migrants who have come into the state in New York City, putting a strain on our schools, on public safety and law enforcement and local governments,” Gillen, a Democrat who represents Nassau County, told Adams.
“In New York, taxpayers have paid about as you acknowledge $7 billion to respond to this crisis. That figure is outrageous, and now instead of stopping the bleeding, you are going back to asking the taxpayers of New York to spend another billion dollars on this crisis,” Gillen said. “Instead of effectively governing our city, your policies have compounded this crisis.”
In December 2024, City and State reported that over 210,000 migrants had entered New York City since 2022.
Adams responded by saying he was proud of how his administration was managing the city’s immigration crisis.
“Although we had 230,000 migrants and asylum seekers come to our door, 189,000 were able to go on to the next step of their journey,” Adams said. “Congress makes our immigration policies, not mayors. I manage a crisis that was dropped at my door, and I continue to do that every day.”
Gillen was critical of the money the city spent at the now closed immigrant shelter at Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, which she said provided food and shelter to migrants and prevented ICE from entering.
“My constituents work, attend doctor’s appointments, and spend their hard-earned money in New York City. I’ve heard from many constituents about how Mayor Adams’ failure to address this crisis continues to impact Long Islanders’ wallets,” Gillen said in a statement after the hearing. “His testimony on Wednesday did not give me any reassurance that he can effectively govern. I’ll continue to press city officials to take this crisis seriously and hold Mayor Adams accountable for policies that fail to keep New Yorkers and their wallets safe.”
