Mayor Adams’ administration officials traveled to Texas on Friday to learn more about the state’s response to an influx of Latin American migrants, hundreds of whom have been brought to New York in recent months, putting a burden on the city’s homeless shelter system.
Fabien Levy, Adams’ press secretary, declined to say which municipal officials traveled to the Texas border but verified that Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins was not among them because he is on vacation due to the city’s escalating shelter issue.
According to a local government source acquainted with the situation, the people in Texas are from the mayor’s offices of immigration and intergovernmental relations.
Levy said in a statement that the officials went to Texas for a firsthand look since Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has continued to stonewall the city’s request for information regarding the migrants being bused to New York.
“The Texas governor’s office has been unresponsive and has turned this matter into a political sideshow,” Levy said.
“We’ve sent members of the team down on a fact-finding mission to hear directly from folks on the ground along the southern border and get the real answers we’re not getting from Texas, including whether they are sending asylum seekers to New York City even if they prefer to go elsewhere,” Levy added.
According to the source, who spoke on anonymity, Adams’ aides were scheduled to meet with elected officials from “friendly” Democrat-led cities while in Texas.
Abbott’s spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
The Texas journey comes as dozens of South and Central American migrants arrive in New York every week, fleeing violence, persecution, and economic destruction in their native countries.
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