Since last spring, New York City has become the primary destination for migrants in the country. Current projections indicate that city taxpayers are set to allocate a staggering $40,000 for each migrant, an expenditure surpassing that of the nation’s top five cities receiving asylum seekers.
Data tracked by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University indicates that over 125,000 migrants have sought to settle in NYC’s five boroughs between last April and July 2023.
This figure surpasses the estimate of 110,000 shared by Mayor Eric Adams earlier this week. These numbers translate to an average of over 9,000 migrants settling in NYC per month.
As a result, city taxpayers are anticipated to face a hefty financial burden. By the close of this fiscal year, New York is projected to expend a staggering $5 billion, equivalent to nearly $40,000 for each migrant.
The city is projected to allocate roughly four times more on this year’s crisis than Miami’s annual budget. Records highlight that, by the end of July, Miami registered an intake of over 69,000 migrants, making it the country’s second-largest recipient of asylum seekers.
City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli from Staten Island expressed his concern by stating, “To put it in perspective how screwed New Yorkers are, we are spending more on the migrants than the entire budget of the city of Boston.”
He added,” We can man every public school, firehouse, and police car and pave every pothole in Boston for what we’re shelling out for this asinine concept of open borders and sanctuary cities.”
Comparatively, Los Angeles, having seen over 62,000 migrants settle since last April, has allocated $163 million toward immigrant programs. Meanwhile, Chicago, with an anticipated migrant count of just under 40,000 by year-end, plans a $256 million expenditure.
A significant portion of NYC’s expenditure is anchored in its sanctuary city status and the 1980s-era “right to shelter” law, which mandates the City to provide housing and food to anyone in need.
This law was established in 1981 under the leadership of the late Mayor Ed Koch to address the homelessness crisis. Critics of NYC’s current strategy argue the financial model supporting this influx is unsustainable.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola from Queens voiced her concerns, stating, “It’s unsustainable for our agencies… It’s unfair, and everyone talks about equity. There’s no equity here.”
