NYC Mayor Adams Might Send Migrants to Cruise Ship

After Martha's Vineyard was proven unfit for illegal migrants, New York City will send its sanctuary city castoffs on a cruise, presumably paid for by taxpayers.

New York is now so overrun with illegal immigration that Mayor Eric Adams hatched a plan to house incoming migrants on a cruise ship.

"NYC Mayor now says at least 13K asylum seekers have arrived in NYC," ABC-7 N.Y.'s Janie Yu tweeted Tuesday. "He's confirms the city is looking into possibly housing them on a cruise ship."

Republican governors have been sending more migrants released at the U.S. border with Mexico to Democratic strongholds. Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis flew about 50 Venezuelans last week to the small, upscale island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. During the weekend, Texas' Greg Abbott bused more migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' home in Washington, D.C.

U.S. authorities are grappling with unusually large numbers of migrants crossing the border from Mexico amid rapidly changing demographics.

The administration said Monday that people from Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua accounted for more than 1 of 3 migrants stopped at the border in August. Authorities stopped migrants 2.15 million times from October through August, the first time it was above 2 million during the government's fiscal year.

Since April, Texas has bused about 8,000 migrants to Washington, 2,200 to New York, and 300 to Chicago. Arizona bused more than 1,800 to Washington since May, while the city of El Paso, Texas, bused more than 1,100 to New York since Aug. 23.

DeSantis used a state program in which migrants deemed "unauthorized aliens" can be moved "from Florida," though he has acknowledged the flights originated in Texas. They stopped first in Florida before going to Martha's Vineyard.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had more than 4,800 domestic flights in the last year, including 434 in August, according to Witness to the Border, a group that criticizes U.S. enforcement. The top five destinations from March to August were: Alexandria, Louisiana; Laredo, Texas; Phoenix; and Harlingen and El Paso in Texas. ICE also buses many migrants.

Republican-led states say they are sending migrants to sanctuary cities that welcome immigrants. While the definition of a sanctuary city is slippery, a sudden influx of migrants can test attitudes and limits of generosity.

Chicago's "Welcoming City Ordinance" prohibits asking people about their immigration status, denying services based on immigration status and disclosing information to federal immigration authorities.

New York limits cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities, partly by prohibiting police officers from participating in joint enforcement or by letting immigration agents work in city jails.

In Martha’s Vineyard, the six towns that make up the island south of Boston have not issued any "sanctuary" declarations.

The Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for restrictions, keeps an extensive list of "sanctuary" jurisdictions, which, by its definition, limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. They include Boston and seven other Massachusetts cities. None of the towns in Martha's Vineyard is on the list.

Texas has committed billions of dollars to Abbott's Operation Lone Star, an unprecedented move into border security that includes the bus trips, prosecuting border crossers for trespassing, and massive presence of state troopers and National Guard.

The Florida Legislature allocated $12 million for its program for the current budget year, which DeSantis vowed Friday to "use every penny."

The city of El Paso, which last week contracted a private bus company at a cost of up to $2 million, plans to seek reimbursement from the federal government.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.