Starting June 30, New York City will no longer provide taxpayer-funded legal assistance and related services for newly arrived migrants, according to the Adams administration. This decision follows the state government’s refusal to offer additional financial support.
In a public statement, the administration announced that case management services at migrant shelters—including help with legal aid, federal work permits, job placement, and English classes—will be discontinued.
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“We are not out of the woods yet and still have over 38,000 migrants in our care,” said spokeswoman Liz Garcia. “Still, the state recently decided not to allocate any new funding to New York City for migrant-related costs, and, as a result, the case management services that we have been offering at migrant shelters will no longer be available. We are disappointed in the state’s decision.”
Mayor Adams had asked Governor Kathy Hochul to include an additional $1 billion in the state’s $253 billion budget to help cover rising costs, but the request was denied.
A spokesperson for Hochul responded by pointing to a 95% drop in weekly migrant arrivals over the past year. He also stated that the city still has over $2 billion in unspent state funds, which influenced the decision not to allocate more in the latest budget.
“The governor will continue partnering with City Hall to address their responsibility to provide shelter to new arrivals,” said Avi Small, a spokesman for Gov. Hochul.
According to city officials, New York City has already spent around $8 billion to shelter and support over 230,000 migrants since early 2022. They also say the original $2 billion from the state has been used up.
In a separate financial blow, the Trump administration recently revoked $188 million in federal grants meant to support migrant-related expenses. New York City has filed a legal challenge, arguing the funds were withdrawn improperly.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the move, citing concerns that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua was allegedly operating out of the Roosevelt Hotel and benefiting from the grants.
Earlier this month, the city began shutting down several migrant welcome centers, citing both a decline in new arrivals and a continued lack of new state funding.
