For Mayor Eric Adams, the unprecedented influx of migrants into the city has seemingly forced him to create a new role in his administration: Deputy Mayor of Communications.

“I say this as kindly as possible. But the antiquated method of communicating with your constituency just through the daily tabloids is just not acceptable anymore,” Adams said.

The promotion of press secretary Fabien Levy comes as Adams has heightened his messaging around migrants and the need for immediate state and federal intervention.


What You Need To Know

  • On Monday Mayor Eric Adams appointed his former press secretary to deputy mayor of communications

  • Adams said the new role aims to get City Hall’s messages directly to constituents

  • Adams has made it a point to bypass traditional media when it comes to highlighting the accomplishments of his administration

Last week, Adams sounded the alarm that the city is set to spend $12 billion dollars over the next three years on the crisis.  

The strategy seemed to have helped. Since then, there has been some increased aid from state and federal officials.

“There has been a real shift in conversations, of engagement from our federal engagement, our state engagement, local engagement. You are now seeing what we knew all along, that this was not sustainable,” he said.

Last Friday, top adviser to President Joe Biden, Tom Perez met with City Hall officials including Adams to talk about migrants. A federal assessment team is also on the ground.

Meanwhile, Gov. Hochul has increased the number of national guard and is funding sites on Randall’s Island and Creedmoor Psychiatric facility in Queens.

“We’ve done an incredible job, but we’ve also done an incredible job of hiding it from New Yorkers. People need to know all that we’re doing,” Levy said about his plans in his new role. “There’s thousands of people across the city government working every single day on the migrant crisis. We’re going to highlight a lot of those stories.”

An estimated 100,000 migrants have come to the city with nearly 60,000 in the city’s care.

Some local New Yorkers have been pushing back against efforts to shelter migrants near schools, on soccer fields and close to parks citing safety concerns.

On Sunday, the mayor tried to ease those worries while making an appearance on his recently launched monthly show “Hear From Eric” on WBLS.

“We can’t broad-brush people. That’s not right. That’s unfair. Let me tell you what I hear from the migrants and immigrants who have come through the system. They say to me all the time, ‘Eric, we don’t want your free food. We don’t want your clothing, we don’t want you taking care of us. All we want to do is work. We want to earn our right to be here in the city,’ Adams said during Sunday’s interview.

In recent months, the administration has also launched a podcast, a newsletter and holds weekly public safety briefings, where officials take questions from the public.