New York Mayor Eric Adams could close a deal with Norwegian Cruise Line to house illegal immigrants who arrived in the last few months. The plan is to place them on a ship and have it remain docked at the Staten Island home port, the New York Post reported on Friday.
Adams would plan to lease the luxury liner for at least six months and use it to house and process immigrants before they enter the city's shelter system. Immigrants would be allowed to enter and leave the vessel as long as they live there.
Although the figures requested by Norwegian Cruise Line to close a deal are unknown, the alternative reportedly represents a more economical option compared to the tents the city planned to open in the Bronx in the Orchard Beach parking lot, according to the New York Post. Putting up tents would cost $15 million per month.
In addition to the Norwegian Cruise Line deal, the New York Post 's source said the City was negotiating to possibly use another ship owned by the Tallink company, which was contracted by the Estonian government to house Ukrainian refugees.
Adams' response
Speaking to reporters at City Hall, Mayor Eric Adams said he doesn’t have any announcements about a deal with the cruise ship.
"When we have an announcement of any kind of agreement, we will make an announcement. So, whatever kind of agreement they've written about, they know more than I do," Adams said Friday.
From "open arms" to complaining about so many immigrants
Despite the fact that in July the mayor said: "New York welcomes immigrants with the "open arms," only a few days later he appears to have changed his mind when Texas Governor Gregg Abbot initiated a policy in August sending buses loaded with people in irregular migratory status to the so-called sanctuary cities. At that time, Adams stated in a press release that immigrants are becoming a "real burden" for the city.
It is estimated that around 15,000 irregular immigrants have arrived to New York in recent months. In September, Mayor Adams noted that with the arrival of so many people, the city’s shelter system "is on the verge of collapse.”
