Eric Adams says New York is ‘out of room’ for illegal immigrants

He warned that if the influx of newcomers doesn't slow down soon, people may be forced to sleep out on the streets.

"Our hearts are endless, but our resources are not," Adams said during an interview with FOX5 NY's Rosanna Scotto for the Fox Nation special, The Sanctuary Trap. "It's not like New York is not saying we are not a city of immigrants. We are. We have a rich history of immigrants, but we can't take the global problem and [have] it become our problem. That is unfair to New Yorkers, and is unfair to migrants."

Adams went on to address the main issue facing newcomers and residents alike: a lack of space.

"We're not just saying we're out of room as a soundbite," he emphasized. "We're out of room, literally. People are going to be eventually sleeping on the streets."

The mayor explained that his ability to act and solve the crisis was limited, noting, for example, that he can't notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"I cannot break the law and enforce the law," he said. "I can't deport. I can't stop people from coming in, repeated criminal behavior. I can't report to ICE for deportation."

Adams also took aim at the city's right-to-shelter law, which was passed in the 1980s, saying it "wasn't meant to be for migrants and asylum seekers." His administration is currently engaged in legal battles to enforce that rule.

He has long sounded the alarm over the impact the migrant crisis was having on his city. During a town hall in September, for example, he said in no uncertain terms that it "will destroy New York City."