The Democratic-controlled state of Colorado will send migrants to New York City and Chicago, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams made the statement Tuesday during a call-in with WABC's "Sid and Friends in the Morning" radio show when asked about the migrant crisis by host Sid Rosenberg. Adams called the present situation an "embarrassment" that requires solutions on a national level.
Large numbers of migrants have come through the U.S.-Mexico border this past year, prompting Republican Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis to bus and fly migrants to liberal states.
Title 42, originally initiated by former President Donald Trump at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and since retained by President Joe Biden in a decision that has divided some Democrats, was allowed by the Supreme Court on December 27 to stay in place.
"We were notified yesterday that the governor of Colorado [Democrat Jared Polis] is now stating that they are going to be sending migrants to places like New York and Chicago," Adams said. "This is just unfair for local governments to have to take on this national obligation. We've done our job. There's no more room at the end, but we are compelled by local laws here that we must provide shelter...and continue to move in the right direction."
A statement issued Tuesday by Polis' office said that the state, in partnership with the city of Denver and nonprofit organizations, has worked "tirelessly" to address a migrant surge—about 70 percent of whom arrive in Denver without the intention of making it "a final destination."
But due to weather and job shortages, these migrants—including those specifically from the Venezuelan community—are experiencing transportation cancellations.
Colorado's plan involves the intake, processing and transportation coordination to help migrants safely reach their desired destinations. That includes assuring that each migrant is voluntarily deciding that preferred location of future living.
"No one should play politics with the lives of migrants who came here to escape oppression, and in Colorado, we are honoring our values of treating people with dignity and respect," Polis said in a statement. "We are simply carrying out our values of treating every human being with dignity and respect. Coloradans would expect nothing less from us to uphold our shared values to assist people fleeing oppression."
Polis went on to say that "states and cities cannot continue to bear this burden alone" and also called for Congress to fix the immigration system.
Conor Cahill, press secretary for Polis, told Newsweek that the majority of the migrants in question have expressed that New York City, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami be their destinations.
He said this is nothing new, as ticket purchasing has taken place for weeks through companies like Greyhound.
"For many of them, they are nearing the completion of their brave three- to four-month journey escaping oppression through jungle, desert and many challenges along the way," Cahill said.
No timeline was provided by Colorado officials regarding when migrants would be transported.
Adams also put the onus on President Joe Biden and Congress, saying that his city, Chicago, El Paso, Houston or Washington, D.C., should "not be going through this."
There's been a change of tone by Adams in recent weeks.
Following an influx of over 15,000 asylum seekers from Colombia and Venezuela in September, Adams admitted right before Christmas that New York City's public safety was threatened by the ongoing "crisis."
"We received over 30,000 asylum seekers that are in need of not only shelter or food, education for children, healthcare, some of the basic items that are needed, and this is really impacting on the quality of life in New York and our ability to provide for every day, long-term New Yorkers on the needs that they have during this difficult time," Adams said Tuesday morning. "This must be addressed."
Newsweek reached out to Adams, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for comment.
Update 1/4/23, 9:31 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Polis' office.
