New York, long touted as 'sanctuary' for illegals, declares state of emergency over migrant busses

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Friday declared a state of emergency over the massive influx of bussed illegal immigrants the city has absorbed over the past several months, even as the city has for years touted itself as a "sanctuary" for migrants from around the world. 

Adams in his emergency declaration said the city needs to find "long-term shelter, health care, and a great deal of institutional support" for the nearly 20,000 illegal immigrants that have arrived there since the spring.

“It is straining the limits of our ability to provide care for New Yorkers in need, and it is burning through our city’s budget," he said. 

New York has been among the numerous cities that have lately been receiving considerable numbers of illegal immigrants in bus caravans from primarily southern-border states. 

The city has long been identified as a "sanctuary city," a term used by mainly Democratic-controlled polities to denote a place where illegal immigrants can feel safe from immigration law enforcement. 

"This city has always been a sanctuary city," Adams said during a media interview last month.