New York City has filed a lawsuit against 17 charter bus and transportation companies, seeking $708 million in damages. The companies are accused of bringing migrants from Texas as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s border plan without paying for their care. Mayor Eric Adams claimed that the influx of migrants has overwhelmed the city’s social services system. The lawsuit comes after Adams signed an executive order restricting where and when buses carrying migrants can drop off passengers in the city.
Abbott began sending migrants by bus to several Democratic-run cities, including New York City, in April 2022. He has criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration plan and argued that Texas border towns have been overwhelmed by the “border crisis.” In response, some Democratic city leaders have called for more federal support. New York City is seeking $708 million to cover the costs of caring for the migrants transported from Texas.
The lawsuit alleges that the companies profited significantly from Abbott’s plan. They reportedly made about $1,650 per person compared to about $300 for a single one-way ticket. New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized Abbott for using human beings as political pawns and called for the companies to take responsibility for their role in the ongoing crisis.
Abbott dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless” and argued that every migrant bused or flown to New York City did so voluntarily after being authorized by the Biden Administration to remain in the United States. He claimed that Mayor Adams was interfering with their constitutional authority to travel across the country. The companies named in the suit are primarily based in Texas, with a few based in Ohio, Louisiana, and Iowa.
This lawsuit is the latest development in Abbott’s controversial border plan, which has faced criticism for its installation of buoys and razor wire at the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. Department of Justice has also sued the state of Texas and Abbott to block new state-level immigration penalties, including allowing police to arrest migrants who enter the country illegally.
In summary, New York City is seeking $708 million in damages from charter bus and transportation companies for bringing migrants from Texas without paying for their care. This lawsuit is part of a broader debate over Abbott’s border plan and the response of Democratic-run cities to the influx of migrants.