Hundreds of Migrants Dropped Off in New Jersey, Bypassing New York City Restrictions
Transit points in New Jersey have become a strategic route for buses seeking to circumvent the latest regulations implemented in New York City to control the overwhelming influx of migrants. Over the weekend, four buses made stops at the Secaucus Junction train station in New Jersey, according to a news release from Secaucus’ mayor.
After being dropped off at the train station, the migrants proceeded to take trains to New York City, said Michael Gonnelli, Mayor of Secaucus. It seems that train tickets are being obtained for the migrants, ensuring they reach their final destination.
It appears that bus operators have discovered a loophole in the system to ensure the migrants reach their intended destination, which is New York City, he added.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently issued an order requiring charter bus companies to provide city emergency management officials with passenger manifests, drop-off times, and locations at least 32 hours in advance. This order was prompted by the deliberate efforts of several Republican-led states, including Texas, to transport tens of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers to cities with Democratic mayors, often with little notice or transparency.
In nearby Jersey City, the office of emergency management reported on X (formerly known as Twitter) that approximately 10 buses from different locations in Texas and one from Louisiana have arrived at various transit stations throughout the state, including Secaucus, Fanwood, Edison, Trenton, carrying almost 400 migrants.
Mayor Adams disclosed last week that New York City had received over 14,700 new arrivals in just a month, with 14 chartered buses carrying migrants arriving overnight from Texas, the highest number recorded in a single night.
According to GOP Governor Greg Abbott, Texas has transported more than 33,600 migrants to New York City since August 2022.
A spokesperson for New York City Hall denounced Abbott’s treatment of asylum seekers as political pawns and accused him of leaving families in surrounding cities and states under the cloak of darkness before sending them to New York City with train tickets, CNN reported. The spokesperson further stated, This is precisely why we have coordinated with neighboring cities and counties to encourage them to take similar executive action to protect migrants from this cruelty.
Efforts have been made to reach New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy for comment without success.
The ongoing arrivals in the New York metropolitan area come amid a record-high monthly total of over 225,000 encounters between US-Mexico border authorities and migrants in December 2022, the highest number since 2000, as per preliminary Homeland Security statistics shared with CNN.
Over the weekend, hundreds of asylum-seekers also arrived at Rockford International Airport in Illinois. This marked the second instance of Texas Governor Abbott using private planes to transport asylum-seekers, according to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. The migrants were subsequently taken by buses to Chicago.
Officials in Chicago have faced a challenging and unmanageable situation as Texas buses continue to unload migrants across the city. To address this issue, the city has implemented a new ordinance enabling the impounding and towing of buses from Texas.
The ongoing border crisis is now impacting US diplomatic relations, with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stating that aid to Ukraine and Israel should not be passed unless a deal on border security is reached. He referred to the broken border situation as a national security nightmare for America and expressed hope that Republicans would join negotiations to provide aid.
Negotiators aim to request the Biden administration to reinstate Title 42, a pandemic-era regulation that allowed authorities to swiftly repel migrants at the border but has since expired. Senator Graham also suggested that if former President Donald Trump were reelected, mass deportations of migrants would occur.
In an effort to address the influx of migration into the US, Mexican leaders are scheduled to visit Washington in January for continued discussions with Biden administration officials. A recent high-level US delegation to Mexico City, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, resulted in some progress regarding enforcement on the Mexican side of the border.
According to the National Security Council, the meeting in Washington will assess progress and determine what additional measures can be implemented.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains imperative for authorities to find sustainable solutions to the challenges posed by the ongoing border crisis and for nations to collaborate in addressing the root causes of mass migration.
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