NYC mayor unveils new policies to support migrants, save taxpayer dollars

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced a series of new initiatives designed to support the city’s migrant population while saving taxpayers millions of dollars. These updates come as part of the city’s ongoing response to the over 223,000 migrants who have arrived since the spring of 2022.

As part of the changes, families with children in kindergarten through sixth grade will be allowed to remain in their current shelters, reducing the need for costly busing services and minimizing disruptions to children’s education. Additionally, the city will establish a centralized mail center, ensuring that migrants have access to vital legal information, even if they leave the shelter system.

“Over the past two years, our teams have accomplished the Herculean task of providing compassionate care for a population twice the size of Albany and saving taxpayers billions of dollars,” said Mayor Adams. “With 700,000 case management meetings and 84,000 asylum applications submitted, we’ve made real progress in helping migrants move toward self-sufficiency, and these new policies will build on that success.”

The city’s case management program, which began in October 2023, has already shown positive results, with 42 percent more families moving toward self-sufficiency. Through these efforts, the city has also seen a decline in its shelter census for 19 consecutive weeks.

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom emphasized the importance of these efforts. “This work has been done one meeting at a time, one conversation at a time, and we’ll continue to work with our newest New Yorkers to help them achieve the American Dream,” she said.

The new measures reflect the city’s broader strategy to balance compassion with fiscal responsibility while helping migrants integrate into their new lives in the U.S.