Busloads of migrants headed for New York City are stopping at New Jersey train stations to sidestep an executive order from New York City‘s mayor that attempts to control their arrivals, according to the mayor of Secaucus.
In the last month, 14,700 asylum seekers made their way across the U.S. southern border and wound up in New York City on buses, according to a statement issued Wednesday by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Buses are arriving at random locations throughout Midtown Manhattan at night and on weekends in what Adams described as a “humanitarian crisis” that’s overwhelming the city.
Adams issued an executive order requiring the bus companies to give the city at least 32 hours notice before dropping migrants and limiting drop-offs to between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. on weekdays so the city can adequately attend to the migrants’ safety and well-being.
A message posted Sunday on the X account for Jersey City says 10 buses that departed from Texas and Louisiana have arrived across at NJ Transit train stations in towns including Secaucus, Fanwood, Edison and Trenton. It says the buses carried about 397 total migrants.
“It seems quite clear the bus operators are finding a way to thwart the requirements of the executive order by dropping migrants at the train station in Secaucus and having them continue to their final destination,” Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli said in a statement posted online.
Gonnelli suggests Adams’ order is too stringent and “resulting in unexpected consequences” for New Jersey.
An email sent to Adams’ press office wasn’t immediately answered Sunday night.
A spokeswoman for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey is being used as a transit point for the migrant families. Almost all of them continued on to New York City, Jones said.
“We are closely coordinating with our federal and local partners on this matter, including our colleagues across the Hudson,” spokeswoman Tyler Jones said.
Four buses of migrants arrived in Secaucus on Saturday and Sunday, according to Gonnelli.
“I have been advised the State of New Jersey has a plan in place and we will be working closely with the governor’s office, all law enforcement agencies, and the county to monitor this situation,” Gonnelli said.
New York City has opened more than 210 emergency sites to provide shelter since the start of the crisis. Those include 18 additional large-scale humanitarian relief centers, according to Adams. He called on the federal government for help.
“We need federal and state help to resettle and support the remaining 68,000 migrants currently in New York City’s care and the thousands of individuals who continue to arrive every single week,” Adams said in the statement.
- NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.
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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.