New York City Mayor Eric Adams is under fire for allegedly resettling illegal immigrants who arrived in the Big Apple across the country and around the world.
It is believed that the city has spent at least $50,000 of taxpayer money on flights sending 114 migrant households to over a dozen states and to five countries, including China, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador between April 2022 to April 2023.
Several states, including 28 households in Florida, 14 in Texas, six in North Carolina, and five in Illinois, have taken in the immigrants as part of the resettlement process.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott was quick to respond to the news, claiming that the move was hypocritical given the mayor's own statement less than three weeks ago that busing migrants was "morally bankrupt."
"Instead of these hypocritical charades, Mayor Adams needs to call on President Biden and Congress to step up and do their jobs to secure the southern border," an Abbott spokesperson said in a statement.
Despite the criticism, Mayor Adams' spokeswoman Kate Smart has defended the administration's actions, claiming that the move was different from what Abbott and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida had done.
"We are not coercing people to leave, we are not suggesting or recommending locations, and we are not presenting any kind of false choice," Smart said. "We are helping people who want to reconnect with loved ones or communities do so.”
Adams had previously slammed Abbott, ranting that it was "horrific" what he had done.
"It is unimaginable what the Governor of Texas has done, “he said during a press conference. “When you think about this country, a country that has always been open to those who are fleeing persecution and other intolerable conditions.”
Regardless, the news has angered many conservatives who are calling on Adams to work with President Biden to properly secure the southern border. The public remains to be seen how Adams will respond going forward.