It’s quite remarkable how quickly a liberal’s tune can change when their own resources are at stake. Their usual forte is spending other people’s money, but it appears that housing even a fraction of the illegal immigrants President Biden has invited into the country is proving to be exorbitantly expensive. New York City’s Mayor Adams seems to have hit a wall in his search for someone else to foot the bill.
So, what’s his solution? Offer a one-way ticket to anywhere, as long as these individuals never return. It’s a “go away” policy that seems to have caught him off guard. Before drawing comparisons to the policies of Governors Abbott and DeSantis, who have taken a strong stance on illegal immigration, it’s crucial to remember that New York City has been rather vocal about its sanctuary status, purportedly welcoming such immigrants.
But talk is cheap, and virtue signaling has now led to a fiscal crisis. Mayor Adams is now scrambling to arrange flights to help these migrants reach their preferred destinations, as he deems it more cost-effective than sheltering them for extended periods. Simultaneously, he’s warning that those who choose to remain in New York may find themselves sleeping outdoors as shelters reach capacity.
This situation highlights the transformation of virtue signaling into actual policy and the financial constraints that come with it. Dispersing migrants across the country and the world may seem like a pragmatic solution, but it harks back to the time when the same mayor criticized Republican governors for sending migrants from the southern border to liberal enclaves. Nevertheless, City Hall officials assert that these migrants aren’t being coerced to leave, although the motivation is clear.
The reality is that “sanctuary” policies were never sustainable, and their primary purpose was to paint Republicans as ungenerous. Democrats were quick to cheer on President Biden’s approach while watching the Republicans grapple with the expensive dilemma of accommodating millions of new dependents in their budgets. Now, the tables have turned, and Democrats are forced to confront this crisis, albeit with a continued obligation to criticize the Republicans.
The new, more assertive “reticketing” strategy emerges as New York City grapples with a substantial influx of migrants, surpassing 130,000 arrivals since the previous year. To address this challenge, the city is tightening the duration migrants can stay in shelters, requiring the newest arrivals to vacate after 30 days. Some migrants have opted for destinations as far-flung as Colombia and Morocco.
In the midst of this, sending them back to their home countries, where they belong, seems like a more rational and practical solution.
