New York’s immigrant spirit tested by influx of asylum-seekers
Perhaps more than any other American city, New York embodies the immigrant ethos. Built by foreigners, it tends to be particularly accepting of those who want to make it in this country. But buffeted by the biggest, most sudden influx of migrants in decades, the city finds itself in the uncomfortable position of suggesting that asylum-seekers look elsewhere.
Upward of 113,300 newcomers have arrived since April 2022, many with no place to stay. Required by a unique state mandate that New York City supply a bed and essential services to anyone who asks, city officials are scrambling to provide education, medical treatment and more. With costs estimated to top $12 billion over three fiscal years, left-leaning New Yorkers are experiencing the tension that those in red border states have railed about for years.
New Yorkers are never ones to shy from an argument, and the arrival of so many migrants has sparked intense debate – from protests in Queens to vociferous discussions in neighborhood
