Attention Eric Adams, Mayor of New York, to visit Colombia. These are his reasons for the trip
The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, announced that he will be traveling to Latin America between Wednesday and Saturday to learn more about and understand the causes of the migration crisis facing the United States.
Adams, as confirmed by an advisor from the Mayor’s office, will begin his trip on Wednesday and will start from north to south in Mexico City. He will participate in the Northern Capital Forum, which will address challenges facing the North American country, such as security, innovation, and economic development.
Some places he will visit
On his second day, the mayor will travel to the city of Puebla, and on his third day, he will arrive in Ecuador. There, Adams will meet with local officials to learn about different integration programs for asylum seekers, according to his advisor.
What is his objective in Colombia?
It is expected that on Saturday, Adams will arrive in Colombia, where he will meet with national authorities and take the opportunity to visit the famous “Darien Gap” on the border with Panama, where thousands of migrants cross daily with the sole objective of fulfilling the “American Dream.”
According to his agenda for Latin America, Colombia is his last stop, and he will return to New York on the same Saturday.
What is the purpose of the trip?
According to the mayor’s advisor, the purpose of his trip is to “strengthen relationships, learn more about the journey that migrants have to go through to reach the United States, and speak with local authorities about specific situations that lead to an increase in people seeking asylum in the country.”
Adams’ trip could become a major criticism, as the budget office will issue a memo to city agencies ordering them not to use taxpayer money for expenses outside of New York, specifically regarding the migration crisis and the fiscal burden due to concerns about the issue.
However, on September 7, Mayor Adams stated that “immigration will destroy New York,” a city that receives over 10,000 asylum seekers every month.
“I have never had a problem in my life where I didn’t see an end. I don’t see an end to this,” he said in a public debate, in which he answered questions from New Yorkers alongside his government team.
Over 110,000 people have arrived in the financial and tourist capital with 8.5 million inhabitants in search of asylum in the last year and a half, many sent by Republican governors of border states in protest against the migration policy of Democratic President Joe Biden’s federal government.
Until now, most were coming from various countries, especially Venezuela, and in recent weeks, immigrants from Ecuador and West Africa have also arrived. Russian-speaking immigrants arriving through Mexico are also coming, said the mayor, whose city is legally obligated to provide shelter, food, and healthcare to anyone who requests it.
This African-American former police officer is urging the federal government for help to address this migration crisis, which will cost the city’s coffers $12 billion over three years, Adams announced in early August.
Currently, more than 60,000 asylum seekers depend on the municipality for housing, food, clothing, and education for their children.
New York authorities are trying to make the federal government take responsibility for the crisis.
Meanwhile, Adams is urging Washington to expedite work permits for asylum seekers so they can work and stop relying on municipal aid.
“We are about to lose the city we know, and we are all in this together,” he said, urging the different counties that make up the metropolis to collaborate in addressing this crisis together. “That’s not the game (of passing the buck) that we can play,” he said.
