NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced a new city agency to manage the housing and social service needs of asylum seekers in New York City.
The Office of Asylum Seeker Operations will run a 24/7 arrival center for migrants that will then direct people to refugee camps the mayor has established around the city. The agency will also be responsible for providing legal services to asylum seekers.
Adams has used the city’s public hospital system to address the influx of migrants that started when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott started sending buses of asylum seekers to New York City in the summer of 2022.
The decision has allowed Adams’ administration to avoid regulations established under the Right to Shelter law that mandates the city provide a bed to anyone seeking one.
Adams said he hopes the new agency will allow other departments, like NYC Health + Hospitals, to focus on their traditional duties.
The city is currently managing more than 30,900 migrants and has spent more than $650 million on services and shelter, according to City Hall.
The new agency represents a shift from an emergency response to a “state of steady operation,” according to the mayor.
Adams and other New York City electeds have been pushing for federal support for migrants. Congress recently greenlit $800 million in aid to be distributed to cities for the care of asylum seekers, but it's not yet clear how much of that could go toward efforts in New York City.
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