Officials fear migrants will come to New York City in droves after Title 42 expires on Wednesday
NEW YORK -- There are new fears that New York City could be hit with a surge of migrants.
This week, Title 42, a policy that has kept many asylum seekers from entering the country, is set to expire.
Mayor Eric Adams is warning that there could be upwards of 1,000 migrants bused into the city each and every week, if the policy is allowed to expire. It's not clear how he arrived at that number, but it is clear that there is concern the system could be overwhelmed.
The U.S.-Mexico border has been packed with migrants desperate to get in. Few have managed to cross over. Most are kicked out under the Centers for Disease Control's Title 42 policy that was enacted during the Trump administration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Border Patrol has used it to block thousands of asylum seekers, including almost all Venezuelans.
One said he is now waiting for Wednesday, when Title 42 is set to expire.
READ MORE: Number of migrants at U.S. border could skyrocket with end of Title 42 pandemic rule
On Face the Nation, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the public health policy has turned political.
"If we need to have expedited removal of people crossing the border illegally, I think that should be contemplated in the context of broader immigration reform and as a matter of law enforcement, but not as a public health measure at this point. I think all of these public health emergency measures that we put in place should be expired," Gottlieb said.
"Right now, this is unattainable. This is wrong. You can't do this to the Southern border," Sen. Joe Manchin said.
The possible influx of migrants is a concern to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Republicans have tried to preserve Title 42 in court, but have so far failed.
If nothing changes and the policy expires, Mayor Eric Adams says there could be an influx of buses here in the city, saying in a statement, "Our shelter system is full, and we are nearly out of money, staff, and space. Truth be told, if corrective measures are not taken soon, we may very well be forced to cut or curtail programs New Yorkers rely on."
Adams says the city has already taken in more then 31,000 asylum seekers. CBS2 with two of them from Venezuela.
One said there's opportunity in the United States for everyone. He walked to the border for two months before getting bused here.
The other said his journey also took weeks. He thanked New Yorkers for their embrace, as he now works to support his family.
Expecting more migrants like them, the mayor says the Biden administration and Congress need to share their plans on what happens next.
"We need New Yorkers to understand that, so far, they have been asked to shoulder this burden almost entirely alone," Adams said.
The mayor is already pleading for financial help from both the state and federal level, anticipating the worst.
