More than 200,000 migrants have entered NYC since spring of 2022, city officials say

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- More than 200,000 asylum seekers have come through the city's intake system since the migrant crisis began in the spring of 2022, according to New York City officials.

At least 201,200 migrants have arrived in New York City in the past two years and more than 65,000 are in the city's care.

"In other words, in a little more than two years, a population larger than that of most major U.S. cities has descended on the five boroughs, asking for shelter," the administration said in a statement. "New York City has shown the nation what responding to a national humanitarian crisis humanely looks like, and we are proud that more than 65 percent of those individuals have moved out of our shelter system,."

The data comes as President Joe Biden delivered remarks after taking executive action on U.S.-Mexico border reform, which would limit the number of migrants who can claim asylum between ports of entry at the southern U.S. border.

City officials said they have continued to call for more help from the federal government because a national crisis requires a national solution.

"We are pleased to hear President Biden will be taking action at the southern border," the spokesperson said in a statement, "but to be clear our city has already spent more than $4.6 billion on this crisis and continues to operate more than 200 emergency shelters.

Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom said 1,200 new asylum seekers entered the city this week.

"We now have more asylum seekers, over 65,000, than we have traditional New Yorkers in our DHS system," Williams said.