“To be clear, this is not stopping people from coming, but about ensuring the safety of migrants and making sure they can arrive in a coordinated and orderly way.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order on Wednesday requiring that charter bus companies give advance notice of the arrival of a busload of illegal immigrants or face fines and jail time.
According to the New York Times, the executive order states that charter bus companies must give a 32-hour notice ahead of time, and will be limited to certain times of day when illegal immigrants can be dropped off in the Big Apple.
Companies that violate the order face class B misdemeanor charges, which carry a three-month jail sentence as well as a $500 fine for individuals and a $2,000 fine for corporations. Buses involved in violations of the order may also be seized by police.
"We cannot allow buses with people needing our help to arrive without warning at any hour of day and night," Adams said in a virtual news conference alongside Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.
"To be clear, this is not stopping people from coming, but about ensuring the safety of migrants and making sure they can arrive in a coordinated and orderly way."
This comes after 14 busloads of illegal immigrants were dropped off in New York City from Texas in a single night last week, the highest recorded since spring of 2022.
Buses are allowed to unload illegal immigrants between 8:30 am and noon, Monday through Friday. Dropoffs must occur at a specified location in the Times Square area or another location approved by city officials.
Drivers must also have a manifest detailing how many illegal immigrants on their bus arrived in the US in the last 90 days and are likely to seek emergency shelter, as well as how many illegal immigrants are single adults or traveling in family units.
"We really are saying to bus operators and companies, ‘Do not participate in Governor Abbott’s actions," Adams said. "We want them to take the appropriate actions of being responsible."
This follows Chicago issuing similar restrictions and penalties for bus companies. The result has been bus drivers dropping off illegal immigrants in Chicago suburbs to work around the restrictions, with many reportedly heading for trains bound for downtown Chicago, according to the Washington Examiner.
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