BOGOTA, Colombia
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is on a critical four-day trip Friday that began in Mexico and Ecuador, and later will take him to Colombia and the perilous Darien Jungle to discourage migrants from going to the US.
Adams landed Friday in Ecuador where he toured migrant shelters and met Ecuadorian officials. He tried to get immigrants not to make the journey.
“We are learning about Ecuadorian asylum seekers who came to America only to realize that they’ve been sold the lie that they will be able to work immediately. As a result, we’ve learned during this trip, that many are now asked to come back home.”
Adams spent the last two days in Mexico, where he spoke with officials.
“There is no room” for more migrants in New York City, he said during a trip to Pueblo, Mexico, where he held a news conference and confirmed 800,000 migrants from that city currently reside in New York City.
“Our hearts are infinite, but our resources are not,” said Adams as he expressed concerns about dignified living conditions migrants deserve but are not receiving in his city.
Adams outlined the immense challenge faced by local authorities, who are struggling to accommodate more than 110,000 migrants, averaging 500 arrivals per day since the spring of 2022 — an increase that has contributed to cuts in municipal budgets.
He said many asylum seekers arrive in New York believing they will receive jobs and rooms in “five-star hotels” upon arrival. They are led astray by misinformation spread by smugglers and social media. “We’re saying that’s not true.”
His itinerary includes a visit to the Darien Gap, a Colombian jungle crossing the border with Panama. The region serves as the most perilous segment of the journey for thousands of migrants attempting to reach the US in the last year.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has announced plans to extend sections of the border wall in a bid to curtail record-breaking migrant crossings from Mexico.
