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New York City Mayor Eric Adams has sent a “fact-finding” delegation to the southern border, part of the ongoing battle with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the busing of illegal immigrants to the Big Apple.
The delegation from Adams’ office met on Tuesday with Border Patrol officials in Eagle Pass, Texas, along the shores of the Rio Grande, where hundreds of migrants have crossed into the U.S. each day. In a statement, Adams’ office accused Abbott’s office of being “unresponsive” and turning the situation “into a political sideshow.”
“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,” press secretary Fabian Levy said in a statement.
“Here in New York, we will continue to welcome asylum seekers with open arms, as we learn more about the process, meet with real partners, and see, firsthand, the reportedly inhumane conditions in which asylum seekers are being subjected to by the state of Texas,” he said.
TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT’S OFFICE SLAMS NYC ‘FEARMONGERING’ OVER MIGRANT WRISTBANDS
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, left, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have feuded over immigration. (Getty Images)
A source familiar with the visit told Fox News that the delegation’s trip included a tour of Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) new temporary processing facility in Eagle Pass, which is currently packed with migrants and can house up to 1,000 people. Migrants typically stay at the facility for less than 72 hours during processing before they’re either released or deported.
Abbott’s office says it has transported approximately 1,900 migrants to New York City since the beginning of August, as well as more than 7,000 to Washington, D.C., since April — and started sending buses to Chicago last week.
On Tuesday, Abbott’s office said his invitation for Adams to come see the border in person was still open.
TEXAS SENDS BUSES OF MIGRANTS TO CHICAGO FOR FIRST TIME, DROPPED OFF AT TRAIN STATION
“Governor Abbott’s invitation is still open for Mayor Adams to come visit our southern border and see firsthand the devastating impacts of the Biden-made crisis on border towns smaller than a NYC borough — instead of sending his staffers on a secret trip to Texas,” press secretary Renae Eze said in a statement.
Abbott has said that the move is designed to grant relief for overwhelmed border communities, which have seen more than 200,000 encounters in recent months, and more than 2 million encounters this fiscal year. He has also said that it is designed to draw attention to the crisis at the border, which he blames on the policies of the Biden administration.
He has also pointed to the status of Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York City as “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which claim to be welcoming toward illegal immigrants and limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“Adams talked the talk about being a sanctuary city — welcoming illegal immigrants into the Big Apple with warm hospitality. Talk is cheap. When pressed into fulfilling such ill-considered policies, he wants to condemn anyone who is pressing him to walk the walk,” he said in a New York Post op-ed.
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Adams has pushed back against Abbott, calling him anti-American and describing the busing of migrants as cruel, while appealing for federal help due to the pressure the migrant surge is placing on the Big Apple’s resources.
“It’s the worst type of politics,” Adams said last month on ABC. “It’s hateful politics to raise his national profile and, you know what, you should not be doing it by taking away the respect and dignity of people who are in need.”
