The city is seeking $708 million to cover the costs incurred over the last 20 months for providing emergency shelter and services to migrants transported by the charter bus companies.
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"New York City has and will always do our part to manage this humanitarian crisis, but we cannot bear the costs of reckless political ploys from the state of Texas alone," said Adams in a statement released Thursday. "Today, we are taking legal action against 17 companies that have taken part in Texas Governor Abbott's scheme to transport tens of thousands of migrants to New York City in an attempt to overwhelm our social services system."
Thursday's suit sets out to recoup the hundreds of millions to cover the costs for any of those migrants still in New York City's care, and costs for all those who are transported to New York City from Texas in the future as part of Governor Abbott's plan.
"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," Adams' statement continued. "Governor Abbott's continued use of migrants as political pawns is not only chaotic and inhumane but makes clear he puts politics over people. Today's lawsuit should serve as a warning to all those who break the law in this way."
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement following Adams' announcement, calling the lawsuit "baseless" and noting Adams "may be held legally accountable for his violations."
"This lawsuit is baseless and deserves to be sanctioned," the statement read. "Every migrant bused or flown to New York City did so voluntarily, after having been authorized by the Biden Administration to remain in the United States. As such, they have constitutional authority to travel across the country that Mayor Adams is interfering with. If the Mayor persists in this lawsuit, he may be held legally accountable for his violations."
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