Top Republicans applaud NYC Mayor Adams for criticising Biden over immigration crisis. They urge Democrats to pass border security measures.
The growing tension between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and President Joe Biden over the immigration crisis has caught the attention of top Republicans, who have praised the Democrat for speaking out against the White House.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday that Adams was right to demand better treatment for New York City, which has been overwhelmed by tens of thousands of migrants arriving from the southern border.
“Democrats are finally waking up to the reality that the Biden border crisis is hurting the country,” McCarthy wrote.
“It’s gotten so bad that even the leaders of Democratic strongholds like New York City and Massachusetts are throwing in the towel.”
McCarthy urged New York Senator Chuck Schumer and other Senate Democrats to pass the Secure The Border Act of 2023, a bill proposed by House Republicans that would restart construction of the border wall and increase border security.
Former Vice President Mike Pence also praised Adams for challenging Biden on immigration. He told WABC 770 AM’s Cats & Cosby Show on Monday night: “I have to tip my hat to the mayor of New York for being willing to call out President Joe Biden and his administration on their absolute failure to secure the southern border.
But Adams’ spokesman, Fabien Levy, responded to the Republican compliments by tweeting that they were hypocritical and unhelpful. He said Trump and Pence had prevented migrants from working and that McCarthy and other Republicans in Congress had done nothing to pass meaningful immigration reform.
Adams has repeatedly asked for federal help to deal with the humanitarian crisis in his city, which has seen nearly 100,000 migrants arrive since last spring, according to city officials. Some have been sent from red states such as Texas, which have been eager to make liberal cities feel their pain.
The influx of newcomers has stretched the city’s homeless shelters to the limit, testing their capacity to house those in need.
Adams has privately criticised the US president for his lack of leadership on the border crisis, and publicly expressed his frustration.
In May, the Biden re-election campaign removed Adams from its national advisory board after he criticised the administration’s immigration policies.
“It’s the irresponsibility of the Republican Party in Washington for refusing to do real immigration reform, and it’s the irresponsibility of the White House for not addressing this problem,” Adams said in May.
Biden has blamed Republicans for blocking his immigration reform bill, which was his first piece of legislation. He told a conference of US mayors earlier this year, according to Fox News, “But because of some in Congress, they refused to consider it. They thought it was a better issue to campaign on than an issue to solve.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, also a Democrat, has also called on Biden to do more to stem the crisis.
