New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday that the city will take legal action against 17 bus and transportation companies accused of bringing illegal immigrants into the city. The buses, sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott as part of an effort to share the burden of the border crisis, have allegedly violated New York Social Services Law Section 149.
Governor Abbott revealed that over 33,600 illegal immigrants were sent to New York City between August 2022 and December 29, 2023, prompting Mayor Adams to pursue legal action seeking to recoup approximately $700 million spent on caring for migrants in the past two years.
In a statement, Mayor Adams expressed the city’s commitment to managing the humanitarian crisis but emphasized the need for shared responsibility. He accused the transportation companies of participating in Governor Abbott’s scheme to overwhelm New York City’s social services system.
The lawsuit contends that the accused companies, including Buckeye Coach, Coastal Crew Change Company, and Windstar Lines, earned millions of dollars from Texas for implementing the governor’s plan. The legal action aims to hold these companies accountable for violating Section 149 and recoup the costs incurred by the city in caring for the migrants.
Governor Kathy Hochul voiced support for the lawsuit, criticizing Governor Abbott for using human beings as political pawns. She emphasized that companies facilitating such actions should take responsibility for their role in the ongoing crisis, bearing the cost of sheltering individuals rather than passing it on to hard-working New Yorkers.
The legal move follows Mayor Adams’ executive order issued last month, requiring bus operators to provide at least 32 hours of notice before the arrival of migrant buses and restricting drop-offs to specific times of the day. However, reports suggest that some buses began dropping off migrants in New Jersey, instructing them to take public transit into New York City to circumvent the new order.
