Eric Adams, The Mayor of New York City has complained that 50% of the city’s hotel rooms are now being occupied by illegal migrants and that it is hurting the economy.
Some hotels in the city were recently forced to boot out homeless American veterans to make room for migrants and others have cancelled rooms reserved for weddings for the same reason.
The Mayor has also accused the Biden administration of turning its back on New York.
He said the surge of illegal migrants that is flooding his and other cities, “should not be happening,” calling it a national problem that needs “a national solution.”
The Blaze reports: Adams made the comments on Wednesday while addressing criticism for his handling of the crisis.
“In order to address an onslaught, you have to have places you can put people. Almost half of all hotel rooms now are taken up by asylum seekers. Think about that. I’m not sure what it’s going to take before people hear what I am saying,” said Adams in a media briefing in Harlem.
“New York City is the hotel capital. We’re the hotel capital — tourism, visitors, sporting events, graduations,” he added. “It’s a major economic engine for us. Almost 50% of those hotel rooms are being taken up by migrant asylum seekers.”
The Democrat has been lambasted on all sides for his handling of the issue, but others of his own party lined up to accuse him of exaggerating the problem.
“It would be impossible,” said City Councilwoman Diana Ayala. “The math doesn’t add up.”
Officials estimate about 65,000 migrants have arrived in New York City in recent months, but many of those have been placed in public school gyms, emergency relief shelters, and some homeless shelters.
Adams went on to to demand that the federal government do more to help his administration deal with the crisis at the border.
“Instead of moneys coming from people who are visiting us and spending and our tourism and our Broadway plays — instead of them using those hotels, we’re using those hotels,” Adams said.
Various hotel officials dodged queries from the New York Daily News to confirm the claim made by Adams.