New York Mayor Eric Adams condemned Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a press briefing for busing arriving migrants asylum seekers at the border, overwhelming New York’s immigration service centers. 

“We are going to send the right message, the right tone in here for these families,” the mayor said, after welcoming migrants arriving at the bus terminal. 

Over the last year, Texas and Arizona Governors have shipped migrants to New York and D.C. in the thousands as a response to Biden’s repeal of Title 42, a reactionary COVID policy that halted migrations at the border.  

The overwhelming number of migrants, many of whom were bused against their will, with no knowledge of their destination, severely hindered their collective response and service efforts. 

In a letter addressed to the federal government, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser pleaded with the National Guard to intervene with the over 200 buses sent from Texas and Arizona respectively. 

“With pledges from Texas and Arizona to continue these abhorrent operations indefinitely, the situation is dire,” Bowser said, “and we consider this a humanitarian crisis – one that could overwhelm our social support network without immediate and sustained federal intervention.”

The Pentagon denied the request. 

“After careful consideration the Department has concluded it cannot fulfill your request,” Pentagon executive secretary Kelly Bulliner Holly wrote to Christopher Rodriguez, director of D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, according to NBC News.

The Department of Defense determined states already receive enough funding to maneuver the immigration system at the state and federal levels. 

Reuters reported that, as of April, over 6000 migrants have been bused to D.C. and New York in a retaliatory attempt to send a political message. 

“Of course, they’re asylum seekers, they deserve to be here,” Manuel Castro, NYC Commissioner for the Office of Immigrant Affairs, said that morning. 

“What Governor Abbott is doing is wrong. He’s using these people as political pawns to make a political statement. Again, these are families, these are people. We believe what he’s doing is wrong, it’s cruel, and frankly, it’s disgusting.”

In a statement to the New York Post, Abbott's press secretary responded to Mayor Adam’s criticism of the Arizona and Texas Gov’s actions. 

“Mayor Adams should check with President Biden if his administration is the one dumping migrants in his city, as they’ve been doing to Texas border towns for months,” they said.

Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to continue chartering migrants to D.C. and New York. He also asked Bowser to the southern border, an invitation she declined. 

In a statement to Politico, Adams declined to call for any changes to federal immigration policy and said he was focused on getting assistance to provide for arriving migrants.