On Thursday (January 4th), the city of New York sued 17 bus firms for breaking state law by transporting migrants from the southern US border to the city. The city has filed a lawsuit in New York state court in Manhattan demanding $708 million.
According to reports, the businesses carried over 33,000 migrants from Texas to New York City as part of Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s drive to deport illegal migrants who enter the US through the Mexican border.
A $708 million settlement
According to Reuters, the city has accused the bus charters of breaking a 19th-century statute requiring anyone bringing “needy” persons to New York to cover their expenses.
NYC is demanding $708 million, which it claims is the cost of providing shelter and assistance to 33,000 migrants over the last two years.
In a statement, New York City said that it has “announced a lawsuit against 17 charter bus and transportation companies that seeks to recoup all costs New York City has incurred providing emergency shelter and services to migrants transported by the charter bus companies — totalling at least approximately $708 million in the last 20 months.”
For more than two years, Texas Governor Greg Abbot has dispatched newly arrived migrants from the border to New York and other Democratic-run cities in protest of what he sees as the national government’s failures on immigration.
“Since the spring of 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has admitted to facilitating the transport of more than 33,600 migrants to New York City without having the companies transporting those migrants pay for the cost of continued care in violation of New York’s Social Services Law,” said the city.
According to AFP, New York’s Social Services Law mandates the city to offer shelter and care to anyone who needs it.
Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, said, “These companies have violated state law by not paying the cost of caring for these migrants, and that’s why we are suing to recoup approximately $700 million already spent to care for migrants sent here in the last two years by Texas.”
