NEW YORK — While Mayor Eric Adams floats the idea of using cruise ships to house the thousands of migrants bused to New York City, officials are scrambling to find shelter for the asylum seekers after seven more buses arrived Friday.
Over the last few months, the city has seen an unprecedented number of new arrivals – more than 11,000. More than 8,000 are currently in the shelter system, CBS2’s Christina Fan reported Saturday.
It started off with one bus arriving a few days per week. Now, as many as eight buses are dropping off migrants daily at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
One man who came from Venezuela with his wife and family told us his journey was difficult. In Spanish, he said “Thank God I’m here.”
While many families were relieved to finally arrive, the city is struggling to manage them all.
“We have opened 23 emergency shelters,” said Adams.
In an exclusive interview on “The Point with Marcia Kramer,” the mayor said the city will have to open 38 more shelters, and mentioned the possibility of using ships.
“We’re examining everything from the legality of using any type of cruise ship for temporary housing,” said Adams.
How feasible would it be?
“That was something that the previous administrations, the Bloomberg administration, my understanding is they looked at that during the surge and so we’re looking at that as a temporary measure,” said Adams.
Meanwhile, the struggle to house migrants is becoming a national problem. Four dozen migrants who landed on Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday voluntarily left the island by ferry.
Elieser Perche, 28, who came from Venezuela with his parents, said he hopes to find work and a better life for his family.
In addition to shelters, New York City also opened a resource navigation center for asylum seekers. Services include school enrollment and health care.
You can watch more of the interview with Mayor Adams on “The Point with Marcia Kramer” on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on CBS2, right after “Face the Nation.” An additional interview with the mayor will stream on CBS News New York.
