Migrant Buses Evade Adams' Mandate by Using NJ Dropoff

Photo byEgor LitvinovonUnsplash

Buses have been using New Jersey transit terminals as a way around new regulations designed to reduce the enormous volume of arrivals in New York City. According to a news release from the mayor of Secaucus, at least four buses made stops at the rail station at Secaucus Junction in New Jersey this past weekend.

“From what we understand after being dropped at the train station the migrants then took trains to New York City,” Michael Gonnelli, the Mayor of Secaucus, said according to CNN. “At this point in time, it seems train tickets are being secured for the migrants and they have been making their way to their final destination.” He added that it seems “bus operators have figured out a loophole in the system to ensure the migrants reach their final destination, which is New York City.”

Mayor Adams recently issued an order requiring charter bus firms to give city emergency management officials passenger manifests with estimated drop-off times and locations at least 32 hours before the passengers' arrival.

Adams' ruling came in reaction to a months-long attempt by Republican-run states like Texas to transport tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers—often with little to no notice by bus and airplane to large cities led by Democratic mayors.

Adams stated last week that "14 chartered buses with migrants arrived overnight from Texas, the highest recorded number in a single night," bringing the total number of new arrivals to New York City during the last month to nearly 14,700.

“Abbott continues to treat asylum seekers like political pawns, and is instead now dropping families off in surrounding cities and states in the cold, dark of night with train tickets to travel to New York City,” a spokesperson for New York City Hall said Monday in a statement to CNN.

“This is exactly why we have been coordinating with surrounding cities and counties since before issuing our order to encourage them to take similar executive action to protect migrants against this cruelty,” the spokesperson added.

“To be clear, this is not stopping people from coming but about ensuring the safety of migrants and making sure they can arrive in a coordinated manner,” Adams stated.

A spokesperson for New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s office, Tyler Jones, told The Post that New Jersey is “primarily being used as a transit point for these families” headed for New York City.

“Our Administration has tracked the recent arrival of a handful buses of migrant families at various NJ TRANSIT train stations,” he said. “All or nearly all of them continued with their travels en route to their final destination of New York City.”