New York City will open a 24/7 arrival center for asylum seekers, create a specialized office dedicated to the issue and work to resettle people in other cities, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday.
It’s an effort that City Hall described in a statement as transitioning from “an emergency response-approach to a steady state-approach,” particularly ahead of a potential increase in migrant arrivals following the lifting of the Title 42 border policy this spring. The city says more than 50,000 people have arrived in the city since last April, with 30,000 currently receiving care.
“I am concerned about what’s going to happen when the borders reopen. New York City’s still a destination,” Adams told reporters during a news conference. “There’s still Facebook pages in countries that are stating ‘come to New York,’ so I’m concerned, and we need to be prepared for whatever’s in the future.”
Adams did not disclose where the arrival center will be located or identify a person who will coordinate the city’s response.
In its blueprint, City Hall said the number of asylum seekers coming to the city could rise once Title 42, a Trump-era policy enacted at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic that allows border officials to turn away migrants at the US-Mexico border, is allowed to expire in May.
The Office of Asylum Seeker Operations will work with cities at the southern border to dispel misinformation about what New York City is offering asylum seekers. It will also help new asylum seekers get jobs, connect them with legal representation and help them access short and long-term housing.
Adams said the city also will “move toward long-term housing and resettlement, including resettlement to pre-vetted cities and municipalities that welcome asylum seekers.”
“There are many cities within the state and across the…
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