On Thursday the U.S. lifted Title 42, a policy begun under the Trump administration that restricted the flow of migrants into the U.S. on the ostensible basis that it would mitigate the spread of Covid. The expiration of that provision is widely expected to lead to a large uptick in migrant arrivals in the U.S.
Republicans and right-wing media, who favored extending Title 42 out of anti-immigrant sentiment, have been fear-mongered about the supposed dangers of the “surge.” But more surprisingly, some Democratic mayors of major cities such as New York City and Washington D.C. are signaling that they’re unhappy about the anticipated increase in migrant arrivals either, mostly because they say their cities don’t have the resources to take more in.
A humanitarian and political crisis for Democrats could be nigh.
A humanitarian and political crisis for Democrats could be nigh. The Biden administration needs to step up to the plate by providing logistical and financial support to cities so that migrants can go through their asylum-seeking process with dignity and without gratuitous suffering.
Asylum-seeking migrants who arrive in cities without a place to stay often turn to the same resources used by the local homeless population — programs which are already underfunded at a time of sky-high rents. There are many signs that northern cities are not currently well-equipped (or, in some cases, even inclined) to adopt a welcoming position in anticipation of an increase in migrant arrivals. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has suspended a “right to shelter” rule that has guaranteed families safe private housing for decades. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has criticized immigrant advocates for allegedly indicating that her city has more capacity than it does to receive migrants. Chicago city officials claim that they’re at capacity for housing migrants, some of whom are sleeping on police station floors. Denver is limiting eligibility to sleep in shelters.
One of the most unfortunate dynamics emerging is the fight between Adams and the leaders of counties surrounding New York — he’s trying to bus migrants to their communities, and they’re furious and fighting him. Playing a game of hot potato with asylum-seeking migrants is not becoming of an area that’s supposed to set an example for welcoming migrants. And the optics are a gift to Republicans who will say that Democrats are only vindicating their narrative that Latin American migrants are a burden on American society. They will glory in any stories that make Democrats look inhospitable to migrants, calling them hypocrites and trying to drive wedges between them on policy debates over immigration and housing.
Part of what’s making the logistical situation in northern cities more complex is the fact that Republican governors have been sending tens of thousands of migrants north. Since 2022 politicians like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have engaged in anti-migrant activism by bussing migrants to northern cities, sometimes lying to them about where they’re going. In some cases those buses are actually helpful to migrants who are trying to get to those cities in the first place. But for migrants arriving in these cities who don’t have local contacts who can help them, or who don’t have a clear final destination, settling into a new (and often extremely expensive) city is challenging. In particular, the recent influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants from Venezuela who rarely have established contacts (compared to the many migrants from Central America) are often more urgently in need of assistance.
That bussing is expected to continue — and intensify as the rate of migrant arrivals increases. Immigration experts say that the federal government has a responsibility to make sure this situation is manageable. FEMA could provide more funding to NGOs that assist with housing and social services to migrants. That would help cities develop a more robust capacity to take in migrants as they arrive and adapt to new cities while they await their immigration court appearance. With more funding, migrant families are less likely to end up in unsafe shelter situations or on the streets, or to strain resources for dealing with local homeless populations which are themselves terribly neglected.
Moreover, there’s a coordination issue here that only the federal government is poised to handle. Immigration experts point out that the federal government has never coordinated reception of asylum seekers, and that such an arrangement could alleviate a lot of logistical problems. Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America says that with better support from the federal government, NGOs in border cities could coordinate with mid-sized towns to help migrants who don’t have established contacts find places to live that have a lower cost of living, a healthy labor market, and adequate local resources to help them settle in. And cities that receive large amounts of migrants in the North should also set up hubs for receiving migrants situated near bus stops so that they can provide them with targeted assistance and help direct them to a final destination without them falling between the cracks of the system.
The Biden administration has failed to fulfill promises of a more humane and welcoming immigration policy regime throughout its first term. At this critical juncture, it can take measures to make sure migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. — one of this country’s greatest social legacies — are treated with respect. It’s the right thing to do. And it's also smart politics.