Governor Abbott Pushes Back Against New York City Lawsuit

Governor Abbott passes border security law and buses arriving in New York CityPhoto byX (Twitter)

On January 4, New York City filed a lawsuit against 17 buses from Texas for transporting migrants. New York City is a sanctuary city but Mayor Eric Adams has been pushing back since migrants are overwhelming his city. 

New York City is seeking $708 million. Lawyers state this makes up for 33,600 migrants who arrived. 

According to Governor Greg Abbott, he has bused 33,600 migrants to New York City. The city has also received buses from El Paso, Texas and other migrants have arrived on their own. According to PBS, New York City has supported over 160,000 migrants since 2022.  

Mayor Adams said according to USA Today:

"Governor Abbott's continued use of migrants as political pawns is not only chaotic and inhumane but makes clear he puts politics over people."  

In recent weeks, Adams has fined migrant buses that arrive outside of designated hours and for dropping migrants off in the wrong location. 

In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement regarding the lawsuit according to a press release: 

"This lawsuit is baseless and deserves to be sanctioned. It's clear that Mayor Adams knows nothing about the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, or about the constitutional right to travel that has been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court. 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."

Do you think New York City has a right to sue the buses?