A frustrated Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday begged Big Apple officials for a full-court press on migrant help as he ripped City Council members over what he sees as an apparent lack of support tackling the surging asylum seeker crisis, The Post has learned.
Hizzoner chastised the elected officials during an early morning remote briefing with city commissioners, accusing some of having a “total disrespect” for the Adams administration officials who have been “spending 12 and 13 hours a day” trying to combat the migrant crisis.
“We’re not going to be disrespected,” Adams declared during the video call, according to a recorded copy obtained by The Post.
“That is not going to happen to my team.”
“There is too much work that needs to be done. My team has sacrificed too much time, energy and dedication to this city,” he added.
It came after Adams, just moments earlier, had addressed prior criticism from Council members who have argued the asylum seeker ordeal is a “manufactured crisis” and that City Hall has blown the estimated $4.2 billion cost of it out of proportion.
Eric Adams ripped City Council members over what he sees as an apparent lack of support tackling the surging asylum seeker crisis. Matthew McDermottThe mayor said the city has been forced to shoulder “this burden on our own” given the lack of Federal Emergency Management Agency funding provided to help cover the cost of housing migrants — as he called on local officials to step up and show unity.
“The plan of every bordering state is one plan: Send your migrant asylum seekers to New York,” Adams said of the busloads of migrants that are being shipped to the Big Apple by the likes of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“FEMA has failed us,” he added, noting the city only received $30 million of the $650 million requested in federal aid.
Migrants have begun being housed in school gyms and libraries. whiteHe also urged Council members to look for additional space to house migrants in their districts as the city’s 150 emergency shelter sites — mostly hotels — continue to fill up across the five boroughs.
As of this week, the city was sheltering more than 41,000 migrants in its shelters.
“It is unfair that some council districts have been weighing the burden of our sheltering on their own. There are many of you who have little or no shelters, or HERRCs, in your district,” he said.
“This is all of our issue. It’s not the issue of just Councilwoman Won, who has a substantial number of HERRCs and hotels in her district, or Adrienne Adams, your Speaker, who has a substantial number.”
Queens Democrats Councilwoman Julie Won’s district covers Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside and Woodside, while Council Speaker Adrienne Adams represents the Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village and South Ozone Park neighborhoods.
“All of us need to do an analysis: where can we house migrant asylum seekers in our districts to take this burden?” Adams said.
Adams’ Deputy Chief of Staff and interim director of the city’s Office of Asylum Seeker Operations, Molly Schaeffer, also chimed in, telling the officials: “We need your help.”
As of this week, the city was sheltering more than 41,000 migrants in its shelters. no photo creditShe said the city was searching for minimum 10,000 square feet spaces with open layouts, as well as running water.
“Think of gyms, recreational centers, residentials centers — like dorms,” Schaeffer said.
Elsewhere during the briefing, Adams warned the migrant crisis had reached its peak — noting recent asylum seekers arrivals had surged.
“Almost a week and a half ago, we received 4,200 people in one week. A few days ago, we got 900 people in one day. We are predicting to get 15 buses in the next few days,” he said.
He implored city and state elected officials to raise the Big Apple’s migrant plight with Washington, DC.
“If you have not written to the White House, if you have not called on national governments to step up. If you’d have not lobbied in your chambers to address this issue, now’s the time to do it. Because we’re in this together. And if it’s not done correctly, it will have a major impact on every neighborhood in New York,” he said.
Councilman Bob Holden (D-Queens), who was on the call, told The Post afterwards that he asked specifically what Gov. Kathy Hochul was doing in terms of the crisis, saying she doesn’t have Hizzoner’s back, like she should.
“I said please tell us what the governor is doing? Why doesn’t the governor have buses ready to take them all over the state?” he said.
“I’m one of 51 districts in the city. I think we need answers from our president — through our Mayor and through our governor. They said they are still in talks.
“I am writing a letter to the governor because she’s been silent on this and she should have the mayor’s back and she doesn’t.”








