New York City Mayor Eric Adams is no longer a national surrogate for President Biden’s re-election campaign amid his criticism of the administration’s handling of the migrant crisis along the southern border.
The news that Adams had been dropped from Biden’s National Advisory Board, which was first reported by Politico, comes after Adams initially joined the campaign’s efforts in March.
‘Adams is among several lawmakers who were initially named to the president’s National Advisory Board in March but no longer appear on a roster of 50 prominent Democrats released by the campaign Wednesday,’ the outlet reported.
The board – which comprises 50 Democrats at varying levels of government to support Biden and Vice President Harris’ re-election chances in 2024 – was announced Wednesday and includes several prominent Democrat politicians, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
Adams’ noticeable absence from the board comes after several rounds of criticism against the Biden administration for its handling of the migrant crisis at the southern border.
‘It is not about the asylum-seekers and migrants, all of us came from somewhere to pursue the American Dream,’ Adams said last week. ‘It is the irresponsibility of the Republican Party in Washington for refusing to do real immigration reform, and it’s the irresponsibility of the White House for not addressing this problem.’
Adams has also been tasked over the last year with dealing with large influxes of migrants sent to the Big Apple by bus from Republican-led states like Florida and Texas who have become overwhelmed.
Adams has previously claimed that New York City ‘is being destroyed by the migrant crisis’ and said the Biden administration ‘failed’ the city on immigration.
Adams said in April that the ‘national government has turned its back on New York City,’ adding that ‘every service in this city is going to be impacted by the asylum seeker crisis.’
Upon being named to the advisory board, Adams told the New York Post that he would not be deterred from speaking out against Biden’s border policies and the migrant crisis.
‘I think to the contrary,’ Adams, the mayor of the nation’s most populous city, insisted at the time. ‘Those who cover me and know me, know that I’m going to speak on behalf of the people of this city, no matter what panel I’m on.’
‘And you know, being a president comes with a menu of items. It doesn’t mean there’s not going to be an item on that menu that I dislike. I dislike what we’re doing around the asylum seekers,’ he added.
Other members of Biden’s national advisory board include: California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Delaware Gov. John Carney, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Marlyand Gov. Wes Moore, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, and more than a dozen Democratic House members.
In a memo from the New York City Office of Management, reported by the New York Post, the city will spend an estimated $4.2 billion on costs related to migrants and asylum seekers that would be spent through June 30, 2023, and the end of fiscal year 2024.
According to the internal city memo, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan would reimburse the city for up to $1 billion in migrant aid, which only covers 29% of expected shelter costs.
New York City officials have applied for a FEMA grant worth $654 million, with a decision expected May 31.