NJ officials say hundreds of immigrants are being dropped off at rail terminals to circumvent new charter busing limitations issued by New York municipal Mayor Eric Adams, who argued past immigration surges are straining municipal services.
New York, like many metropolitan cities, has experienced a rise of migrants from the southern border, including hundreds in Texas-chartered buses. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Operation Lone Star has sent roughly 100,000 migrants to Democrat-controlled areas.
NYC saw 14,700 migrant arrivals in December, including 14 busses in one night. According to New York City officials, 161,000 migrants have been processed in recent months. New York, Chicago, and Denver officials are scrambling to accommodate migrants with no support systems, homes, or money, who are flooding emergency shelters.
Last week, Adams signed an executive order regulating where and when migrant buses can drop off passengers in New York. Officials say bus drivers started abandoning passengers at New Jersey train terminals within days.
At least four busses carrying migrants to New York City arrived at Secaucus Junction rail station Sunday, Mayor Michael Gonnelli said. Hudson County officials informed Secaucus police and municipal officials about the buses, the statement added. Officials claim migrants volunteer to ride busses out of Texas.
Gonnelli stated, “It seems quite clear the bus operators are finding a way to thwart the requirements of the executive order by dropping migrants at the Secaucus train station and having them continue to their final destination.”
"Perhaps Mayor Adams' requirements are too strict and are having unintended consequences, as bus operators have found a loophole to get migrants to New York City."
New Jersey State Police said it's happening statewide, Gonnell added. Jersey City's social media account reported 10 Texas busses and one Louisiana bus at Fanwood, Edison, and Trenton rail stations. Estimated 397 migrants.
According to Gov. Phil Murphy's spokesperson Tyler Jones, his government has tracked a "handful" of busses containing migrant families that arrived at "various NJ Transit train stations."
According to Jones, "New Jersey is primarily being used as a transit point for these families — all or nearly all of them continued their travels en route to their final destination of New York City." The state is working with local and federal partners, including "our colleagues across the Hudson."
Adams mandates charter bus companies transporting migrants to notify officials 32 hours in advance and limit drop-offs to weekday mornings in a designated spot. Midnight drop-offs damage migrants because there are few local agencies to help them, Adams added.
In April 2022, Republican Abbott launched Operation Lone Star busing, arguing that sanctuary cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver should help migrants instead of Texas.
Adams accused Abbot of exploiting migrants as political pawns by sending them to northern towns without cold-weather clothes when he announced his busing limits last week.
"Gov. Abbott has made it clear he wants to destabilize cities, sending thousands of migrants and asylum seekers here to the city," he stated. "I have to navigate the city out of it."