End of the sanctuary: the mayor of New York asks state Supreme Court to suspend the obligation to house immigrants

Lawyers for New York City sent a letter to New York Supreme Court Justice Erika Edwards asking her to suspend the obligation to provide shelter to anyone who requests it, established in the 1981 consent decree in Callahan v. Tortoiseshell.

2023.10.03 - Callahan v. Carey - City's Letter Application by Williams Perdomo on Scribd

The petition comes as the border crisis deepens and also calls for the rules to be suspended whenever the governor or mayor declares a state of emergency due to the influx of immigrants.

"New York City cannot continue doing this alone"

For more than a year now, New York City has largely shouldered the burden of this national crisis alone. "We have opened more than 210 emergency sites, have spent more than $2 billion to date, and expect to spend $5 billion by the end of this fiscal year without significant and timely help from our state and federal partners," the mayor wrote in a statement published after the lawyers sent the letter to the judge.

In that sense, the city is struggling to find accommodation for the thousands of undocumented people who have arrived. Mayor Eric Adams is one of the politicians who has promoted "welcoming immigrants with open arms." However, he acknowledged that he cannot manage this overwhelming crisis.

"With more than 122,700 asylum seekers having come through our intake system since the spring of 2022, and projected costs of over $12 billion for three years, it is abundantly clear that the status quo cannot continue. We must be flexible to respond to this crisis effectively and continue to lead with the compassion," Adams stressed.