Two more buses carrying migrants from Texas arrived in Manhattan on Friday as Mayor Eric Adams said the city would continue to fulfill its “moral and legal obligation” to house asylum seekers.

The buses, which were transporting 89 “individuals and families,” arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal early Friday morning, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro said. 

At least five children were on the buses, the commissioner said. As with earlier arrivals, some of the migrants had not intended to travel to New York, he noted.

What You Need To Know

  • Two more buses carrying migrants from Texas arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Friday, officials said

  • The buses were transporting 89 "individuals and families," Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro said

  • Friday’s asylum seekers joined nearly 5,000 migrants who have entered the city’s homeless shelter system since late May, according to City Hall

“We know of people whose final destination is not New York City, but it includes Florida, Chicago and other destinations that will be difficult for them to get to after arriving in New York City,” he said. “But as I’ve said over and over, we’re committed to welcoming everyone who has arrived in New York, providing them with the support that they need, and continuing to condemn the treatment of asylum seekers by Gov. [Greg] Abbott."

Friday’s asylum seekers joined nearly 5,000 migrants who have entered the city’s homeless shelter system since late May, according to City Hall. The first bus sent directly to New York City from Texas arrived at the Port Authority on Aug. 5.

The city has opened 11 emergency shelters to address the growing crisis, Adams said in an interview with NY1’s Pat Kiernan Friday morning.

Abbott, the mayor said, has made no attempt to work with city officials to schedule their arrivals. 

“This governor did not coordinate. He secretly sent migrants to the city, had them sign documents that clearly, some did not understand what they were signing, and just sent them to New York without coordinating,” Adams said on “Mornings on 1.” “He specifically targeted New York and Washington, D.C.” 

Many of the migrants have had to endure harsh conditions on their journeys to the city, Adams said.

“Sunday morning, when I greeted a group of migrants as they entered the city, you know, some were hungry, they were placed on the bus for 45 hours with no food, not adequate water, not adequate, in some cases, medical attention, and it’s really unfortunate,” he said. 

“[But] this city is clear: we have a moral and legal obligation due to our right to shelter laws to ensure that we house every individual that comes to our city that needs housing,” he added. “And we’re going to live up to that responsibility, no matter how challenging it may be.” 

Responding to Adams' remarks in a statement provided to NY1 on Friday, Abbott's press secretary, Renae Eze, called the mayor a "hypocrite."

"He represents a self-declared sanctuary city, yet he's complaining about a few hundred migrants being bused into his city," Eze said. "If the mayor wants a solution to this humanitarian crisis, he should stop complaining and call on President Biden to take immediate action to secure the border — something the President continues failing to do."

Castro on Friday said one of the asylum seekers who arrived at the bus terminal was “very sick” when he got off the bus. The commissioner’s team was on hand early Friday morning offering migrants resources and assistance, his office tweeted. 

“It might be COVID-19. We’re unsure,” Castro said. “We have medical professionals monitoring his situation, making an assessment. We also have the EMT available to transport this person to a hospital, if necessary, but we’re going to continue to support families as they arrive, and we’re worried about the condition that they’re arriving [in].”

The commissioner also expressed concerns about apparent family separations. 

“It appears that families are being separated in Texas,” he said. “And of course, there’s a lot of concern about bringing them together, and we’re doing everything we can.” 

Asked how many migrants were expected to arrive in the city this weekend, Castro said he did not have any specifics to provide. 

“We don’t know when the next buses will be coming, who is in these buses, and what condition the families are [in],” he said. “Clearly, this is a political act. It’s disgusting.”

“But we’re here to support families as we learn about these buses,” he added. “And as you can see, we’re putting together a team that is able to rapidly respond as we hear these buses approach New York City and arrive.”

Additional reporting by Gabriel Lugo Ortiz.