Eric Adams

People got upset because they said, man, what you doing? You know, you let everybody come into the city. You're paying for them.

Right. So what people didn't understand, I couldn't stop the buses from coming in. The federal law said you can, Eric. I couldn't even allow them to work. The federal law said you can't even allow them to work. And a group of migrants and asylum seekers came to me and said, listen, we want to contribute to the city. Let us remove graffiti. Let us clean the streets. Give us a stipend.

Right. So what people didn't understand, I couldn't stop the buses from coming in. The federal law said you can, Eric. I couldn't even allow them to work. The federal law said you can't even allow them to work. And a group of migrants and asylum seekers came to me and said, listen, we want to contribute to the city. Let us remove graffiti. Let us clean the streets. Give us a stipend.

Right. So what people didn't understand, I couldn't stop the buses from coming in. The federal law said you can, Eric. I couldn't even allow them to work. The federal law said you can't even allow them to work. And a group of migrants and asylum seekers came to me and said, listen, we want to contribute to the city. Let us remove graffiti. Let us clean the streets. Give us a stipend.

You can't even do that. And the city law says everyone that comes here, you must give them three meals a day. You must house them.

You can't even do that. And the city law says everyone that comes here, you must give them three meals a day. You must house them.

You can't even do that. And the city law says everyone that comes here, you must give them three meals a day. You must house them.

Over 40 years in existence.

Over 40 years in existence.

Over 40 years in existence.

And I think the message was because it should not happen to when I went down to El Paso. They should not have had to have gone through that.

And I think the message was because it should not happen to when I went down to El Paso. They should not have had to have gone through that.

And I think the message was because it should not happen to when I went down to El Paso. They should not have had to have gone through that.

And so where they went wrong, where the governor of Texas went wrong, is that we were saying, hey, we hear you. Let's collaborate together and send that message. Not just, listen, I'm not going to punish another municipality because the federal government is screwing up. So when we reached out to them and said, listen, we're on the same page with you. Your city should not be going through this.

And so where they went wrong, where the governor of Texas went wrong, is that we were saying, hey, we hear you. Let's collaborate together and send that message. Not just, listen, I'm not going to punish another municipality because the federal government is screwing up. So when we reached out to them and said, listen, we're on the same page with you. Your city should not be going through this.

And so where they went wrong, where the governor of Texas went wrong, is that we were saying, hey, we hear you. Let's collaborate together and send that message. Not just, listen, I'm not going to punish another municipality because the federal government is screwing up. So when we reached out to them and said, listen, we're on the same page with you. Your city should not be going through this.

Let's get together. Let's work together. No, I just want to.

Let's get together. Let's work together. No, I just want to.

Let's get together. Let's work together. No, I just want to.

I'm not a fan. Uh-huh. And so we lost an opportunity because when I went down to El Paso and I saw people sleeping on the streets and airports, I said, this is not right, even for El Paso. My position was no city should take on a federal responsibility. And that was my advocacy. I went to Washington 10 times to speak with the lawmakers.