Mayor Eric Adams presses Congress leaders for more migrant aid

WASHINGTON — New York City Mayor Eric Adams met Thursday with New York’s top two congressional Democrats and Biden administration officials, repeating his calls for additional federal aid to support migrants and asylum-seekers relocated to the city.

Adams met with the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, to discuss in part the city’s efforts to provide temporary housing for migrants as the weather gets colder.

“We’re going to need assistance all the way around,” Adams told reporters outside the U.S. Capitol after his meetings. “They deal with emergency housing, and we want to partner with them on the ground.”

Adams also met Thursday with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn), the House minority leader. In addition, Adams met with White House adviser Tom Perez, President Joe Biden’s point person on New York City’s migrant crisis.

Adams, a vocal critic of Biden’s response to the crisis, was not scheduled to meet individually with the president, but was invited with other mayors and leaders to a holiday party at the White House. Adams’ office said he planned to use the event to “again speak to administration officials and other elected officials about the migrant crisis.”

More than 150,000 asylum seekers have come through the city's intake system since last spring, and more than 67,000 are in the city's care, Adams' office said.

Adams’ trip comes after he abruptly canceled plans to meet with White House officials on Nov. 2 after the home of his campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs was raided by the FBI.

The FBI is investigating whether Adams’ campaign illegally accepted campaign contributions from Turkish government officials, according to a subpoena obtained by The New York Times. Adams has denied wrongdoing and has said he is cooperating with investigators.

Adams' trip to Washington comes as congressional negotiators try to reach a compromise on a spending package that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel and increased security efforts on the U.S. southern border.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a $110 billion spending package that includes military aid for Ukraine and Israel, as they pressed for tighter immigration laws and stricter enforcement at the border.

Asked by Newsday if he was concerned that funding for New York would get tied up in the congressional tussle, Adams said he believed Schumer and Jeffries would continue to fight for the city to receive aid.

“We're going to leave it up to them to determine the best way to get resources to New York, to New York City, so we can address these issues,” Adams said.

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.