Democrat, GOP lawmakers weigh in on Eric Adams' plan to house migrants in school gyms
Republican lawmakers said accommodating the influx of migrants shouldn't be at the 'taxpayer's expense' in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Democratic and GOP lawmakers reacted to reports on Thursday that New York City Mayor Eric Adams was turning local school gymnasiums into shelters amid the influx of migrants, joining the chorus of critics who've lambasted the mayor for displacing American citizens to accommodate the immigration wave.
Adams announced Tuesday that he is prepared to house asylum-seekers in as many as 20 schools with gyms, six of which are located in Brooklyn, ABC News reported. The mayor did not offer a timetable on how long the buildings will be used as an emergency site for migrants, prompting outrage among parents and locals who wonder how the move will impact their schools and communities.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Thursday that Adams should focus on pressuring President Biden to "stop this insanity" instead of implementing band-aid solutions that negatively impact American schoolchildren.
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U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) questions witnesses during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the U.S. southern border. ((Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))
"Gymnasiums are for our kids, not for migrants and the only reason were even in this position is because Joe Biden won't secure the border so what Eric Adams should do is talk to the leader of his party about securing our southern border, so we can stop this insanity," Donalds said.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accused Adams of "aiding and abetting" illegal migrants at the expense of U.S. taxpayers, while calling for Biden to reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy active under the Trump administration.
"They absolutely should be outraged. This is at the American taxpayers expense, and he shouldn't be housing illegal aliens in the country," she said. "That's basically aiding and abetting illegals at the taxpayers expense and I share their outrage."
"Instead, he should be working hand in hand with authorities to deport people," she added.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks to Fox News. (Jon Michael Raasch/Fox News Digital)
The pressure of the current border crisis has reached its peak after Biden lifted the Title 42 provision that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the southern border due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The order’s expulsion has fueled a drastic migrant surge at the border, with immigrants hopeful that they’ll have a better chance of entering the country now.
Fox News Digital caught up with these lawmakers Thursday at the Capitol to gauge their reaction as Adams grapples with the city's response to the migrant surge.
Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., commended Adams for "doing the best he can," but acknowledged it was "unrealistic" for the mayor to think a local government could accommodate a surge of this level.
"Absorbing a wave of migration is an unrealistic expectation for a local government with limited resources even in NYC," he said, "so as far as I can tell, the mayor's doing the best he can within our broken immigration system. Ultimately, it's the responsibility of Congress to fix it and Congress refuses to fix it."
Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla. said Adams is finally being forced to face the music after criticizing other local leaders for speaking out against open borders policies.
A woman looks out the door of a former NYPD police academy, where new immigrants to the city are being temporarily housed, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
"Isn't it a little rich that mayors and Democrats like Adams who have basically been advocates of open borders, now that it's actually impacting their communities, they're really feeling it, they're throwing their hands up and saying this can't be. Welcome to what Texas, Arizona, and so many of our border states have been feeling…," he said. "This is a national problem. It's not a border problem."
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Aside from housing migrants in school gyms, Adams also rolled out his plan last week to bus migrants to hotels in rural upstate New York communities, including Rockland and Orange counties, despite heavy pushback from local leadership.
The mayor's plan faced heightened scrutiny after reports circulated revealing that two dozen homeless veterans were booted from hotels in those areas, to presumably make room for the growing influx of migrants flowing across the border. There were reportedly 20 veterans who were told they would no longer receive temporary housing at the hotels – 15 of those former service members were at the Crossroads Hotel in Newburgh.
A Florida couple also reportedly had their wedding upended after an Orange County hotel — set to take in migrants from New York City, abruptly canceled the rooms she booked for her guests, the New York Post reported.
Mattresses arrive at the Armoni Inn in Rockland County, New York to prepare for assylum-seekers. (Courtesy)
Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., shamed Adams for prioritizing illegal immigrants over U.S. veterans and other citizens, calling it "just wrong."
"Well, I've seen what they've done in Newburgh, NY and that's just wrong. They moved homeless veterans out of a hotel….that's just a shame," he said.
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., echoed the sentiment, while blaming Biden for creating "this nightmare."
"I think what's really sad is we're displacing tax-paying Americans, in some cases they're displacing veterans in order to accommodate immigrants, and… this all falls on President Biden. Biden could fix this problem today if he wants to… but he's created this nightmare," he said.
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A Brooklyn mother whose son graduated from a school now housing migrants, told Fox News earlier this week that community members are up in arms over the plan.
"It is not a hotel, it's not a shelter. It is a school gym. So the children of Coney Island should not pay for the misguided policies of the Biden administration," she said.
"Why a school?" another parent asked. "That’s the part I don’t get. There’s always other options. A lot of the buildings around here, they have fallout shelters that are spacious, and used for emergencies."
Agustin Hays, Cortney O'Brien, and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this story.
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