Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed his frustration about the increase in illegal immigrants in his city, attributing it to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decisions. Adams remarked, “Reflect on my campaign promises and what we’ve achieved in 20 months. We rejuvenated this city in less than two years. And then what transpired? It began with a decision from a governor in Texas to send individuals to New York City.”
Upon hearing Adams’ comments, Governor Abbott responded, referencing the famous song ‘New York, New York’ by Frank Sinatra, saying, “The lyric goes, ‘If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere.’ Mayor Adams may have succeeded in becoming the mayor of New York, but I doubt he’d manage a week in Texas.”
Abbott was astonished at the mayor’s comments, considering the overwhelming number of migrants Texas handles daily. He added, “It’s perplexing. Cities like New York, Chicago, DC, and LA declare themselves as ‘sanctuary cities’ and advocate progressive views. Yet, when it comes to practical implementation, these concepts falter. It’s evident that open-border policies and the ‘sanctuary cities’ approach aren’t sustainable. The entire country needs to recognize that such liberal border policies aren’t a fit.”
Reflecting on past statements from Democrats about leveraging the rising Hispanic population in Texas to shift the state’s political color, Abbott observed, “Yes, these claims surfaced about a decade ago, gaining momentum after my victory over Wendy Davis in 2014. Despite the increasing Hispanic population in Texas, I won over Beto O’Rourke significantly, even though he had substantial campaign funds.”
He concluded by emphasizing that the Hispanic community in Texas didn’t resonate with extreme left ideologies and mentioned, “They’re not in favor of Biden’s open-border approach. Given the current trajectory, Texas will lean even more towards conservative values, as radical progressive policies are not favored.”
Adams expressed his desire for migrants in his city to be given the right to work promptly and has discussed this with federal authorities. He believes such a move could address nursing and the restaurant industry workforce shortages.
Adams emphasized the need for collaboration among local, state, and federal officials to address the migrant situation. They singled out Abbott for criticism, labeling him “the main obstacle” due to his unwillingness to join collaborative efforts.
