NYC Comptroller Brad Lander shamed into action on migrants after Post, Adams called him out
Wonder who came up with this idea?
City Comptroller Brad Lander publicly demanded Thursday that the Big Apple receive emergency funding to deal with its migrant crisis — after being shamed into action by Mayor Eric Adams and The Post.
“It is a federal obligation to provide safe haven for those seeking asylum,” Lander said during a news conference outside City Hall.
“And that’s why the resources have to come here to help do it while those folks are awaiting their asylum cases being processed and especially until there’s work authorization so they can work. Federal government has an obligation.”
Lander also said there was a “state obligation” to help care for the city’s 41,000-plus migrants.
“The state is not giving a dime right now to the city of New York for the shelter costs of asylum seekers. That has to change,” he said.
Landers’ forceful remarks came just two days after getting blasted by Adams for not joining in Hizzoner’s repeated requests to the White House for $1 billion in emergency aid.
The mayor said his fellow Democrat’s “first tweet to call for help” came during Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Jan. 10 State of the State speech.
“The people of this city have been going through this𝓰 fꦕor months — for months — and his first communication was, you know, a week or so ago,” Adams fumed Tuesday. “He’s the comptroller. He should be concerned about our fiscal stability.”
A short time later, The Post’s Editorial Board said Adams was “100% correct to call out” Lander.
“Given the economic and social effects of unlimited migration, Lander should be fighting tooth and nail on the same side as Adams, doing intra-city diplomacy and whatever it takes to staunch the flow and/or get the resources to handle it,” the Post editorial added.
Despite joining Adams in calling for emergency aid, Lander — who’s mocked the mayor’s handling of the crisis — apparently couldn’t resist challenging Hizzoner’s recent assertion that the city had “no more room at the inn” to house migrants.
“For generations, there has been room for newcomers in New York City,” Lander said. “Today, there is room for newcomers in New York City. There will always be room for newcomers in New York City.”
According to the latest figures released Thursday by City Hall, officials have processed more than 41,000 migrants since the spring, with more than 27,300 now living in four “Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers” and 77 hotels.
Meanwhile, a homeless woman repeatedly interrupted the news conference Lander held with Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and💝 others.
The woman, who’s black, angrily complained that the city had “put the immigrants on top of the Negros!”
“What about benefits for us? People who have been slaves in this country?” she said. “We get nothing! We live in New York City housing! No heat, no hot water! Roaches! Bugs!”
At one point, Wi🦩lliams said, “Although she’s inter🔴rupting right now she’s not incorrect.”
“We’re at a juncture now where we either say, ‘You have to get those services, as well as the people who are coming who need help,’ but we can’t say ‘either/or’ because that becomes dangerous,” he added. “Because the anger that you have that’s real, then gets turned on other human beings.”
Adams’ press secretary, Fabien Levy, said, “We’re glad to hear that other city officials have finally joined our calls and are now urging our federal and state partners to support New York City as we manage an influx of asylum seekers.”
“As Mayor Adams has repeatedly said, we all need to be united in our calls for support from both the federal and state governments,” Levy added.
