Greg Abbott Accuses Eric Adams of 'Aiding and Abetting' Immigration Crisis

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott continued a back-and-forth spat with New York City Mayor Eric Adams over Abbott's busing of migrants from the Lone Star State to the Big Apple, which is a sanctuary city.

On Thursday, Adams, a Democrat, offered the Republican governor a complimentary stay at a migrant shelter during his trip to headline the New York Republican Party's annual gala.

On Sunday, Abbott responded by calling Adams' invitation a "gimmick" and said he should focus on his own city. The governor also insisted that President Joe Biden's policies forced his hand to bus migrants to New York and other sanctuary cities.

"Our country is being invaded in ways that put our country at risk because the political games that Joe Biden has played," Abbott told host Martha MacCallum. "And Mayor Adams is just aiding and abetting that by having a sanctuary city status...welcoming anybody from across the world to live there and stay there, on the bill of New York."

He added: "What Mayor Adams needs to do is stop talking boldly about immigration and the migrants Texas is sending there and step up and do his own job."

The Context:

In recent years, Texas has faced the brunt of the massive surge of migrants coming into the country illegally by passing through the U.S.-Mexico border. Abbott has used deterrence tactics such as putting razor wire along the southern border and has bused migrants to sanctuary cities across the United States.

Adams, who like mayors in Chicago and Denver, has requested more assistance from the federal government and has said the influx of migrants could "destroy" his city. Meanwhile, he has consistently feuded with Abbott about the migrant crisis.

"I'm going to offer him a stay in one of the HERRCs so he can see what he has created and understand how we are treating people with the dignity and respect that he should have shown as well," Adams said at a press conference when asked about Abbott's trip to the city.

"HERRCs," refers to New York City's humanitarian emergency response and relief centers, which are used to house migrants who arrive in the city.

What We Know:

New York City has taken in more than 175,000 migrants and spent upward of $1.45 billion just in fiscal year 2023 to shelter, feed and provide services to migrants.

After nearly two years of fundraising to offset the cost of Abbott's busing program, which is largely paid for by taxpayers, CNN recently reported that Abbott raised around $550,000, at most, according to state records. This is only a drop in the bucket compared to the estimated $150 million it costs to run the program.

In January, Abbott announced that over 100,000 migrants had been bused to sanctuary cities including New York City, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Los Angeles dating back to April 2022. Based on the payments made to private contractors so far, which CNN obtained through public records, it has cost roughly $1,500 to bus each migrant out of Texas.

Views:

Adams has previously called Abbott "morally bankrupt" and a "madman" over his busing policies.

In a letter last year to Abbott, outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Adams took aim at the Texas governor for resuming the busing of migrants to major cities.

In the letter, Adams said Abbott is devoid of any concern for the well-being of asylum seekers. He also accused Abbott of targeting sanctuary cities run by Black mayors and treating immigrants as "political pawns."

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has said that Abbott shouldn't have to deal with migrants alone.

"I do understand why he's busing them," Johnston told Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones in January. "I think his [Abbott's] take is that no one state should have to carry the entire weight of this newcomer population....I think no one state should, and I think no one city should."

Johnston, a Democrat, said he has reached out to the GOP governor in hopes of working together to deal with the influx of migrants crossing the border in Texas.

During his remarks at the New York Republican gala and on Fox News Sunday, Abbott hit out at Adams over issues in his own city, including taking Adams to task over the death of Jonathan Diller, a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer killed in the line of duty last month after being shot during a traffic stop in Queens.

What's Next?

New York City has said there is "no end in sight" to the copious numbers of migrants and projects that an extended timeline of the current rate of migration means a cost to the city of approximately $12 billion by the 2025 fiscal year.

Migrants arriving in New York City have received prepaid debit cards that appear to deliver twice as much to spend on essentials as other NYC welfare benefits.

Adams has stressed the cards will cut "20 percent of the migrant costs" in the city.

Update 4/7/24, 11:05 a.m.: This story has been updated with additional information.

Update 4/7/24, 10:38 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.