New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy asked charter bus companies bringing migrants to his state for a 32-hour notice of arrival Monday — on the heels of a similar order from New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
In a letter to more than 20 companies, Murphy said more than 1,800 migrants from the southern US border have been dumped in the Garden State since Dec. 31, with nearly all of them continuing on to their intended destination in the Big Apple.
“As we continue to see more migrants arrive to our state at the hands of the governor of Texas, who is reportedly funding the passengers’ transportation with taxpayer funds, notice to New Jersey officials in advance of these individuals’ anticipated arrival is critical to ensuring the health and safety of passengers once they arrive in New Jersey,” the Democrat wrote.
“Additionally, because we know the vast majority of these individuals are intending to travel to New York City, this information will be shared with our colleagues across the Hudson to ensure the passengers’ health and safety there,” Murphy said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is asking bus companies to give him advance notice before dropping off migrants. AP
Bus companies have dropped off more than 1,800 Manhattan-bound migrants in New Jersey since Dec. 31. Christopher SadowskiMigrant buses began arriving in New Jersey as bus companies sought to circumvent a Dec. 27 executive order from Adams limiting where and when they are allowed to drop migrants off, and also requiring 32-hour notice of arrival.
Instead, the companies delivered asylum seekers to unsuspecting Jersey towns — with cops then shepherding the migrants onto Manhattan-bound trains.
The mayor has urged Murphy to pass a similar order in his state to cut off the indirect flow of migrants — but it seems unlikely the governor’s letter will have the same weight as Adams’ order.
At a briefing on Monday, Adams — whose administration recently filed suit against 17 charter bus operators — said Murphy “shared our outrage” at the companies, but largely dodged questions about the impact the letter would have.
Migrants arriving in New Jersey are escorted onto Manhattan-bound transit trains by Garden State cops. Robert Miller“We have [gone] through every law that is on the books to see how we push back on this behavior,” Adams told reporters.
“We are going to be aggressive in our actions. We are not going to leave any stone unturned.”
At least 162,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022, bused to the five boroughs largely by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
More than 62,000 asylum seekers remain in city care, overwhelming the Big Apple shelter system.
