Eric Adams Admits His South America Trip May Not Have Worked to Deter Migrants

Mayor Adams admitted Tuesday that his trip to Latin America may not have actually worked in convincing migrants to stop coming to the Big Apple, which was a key rationale offered by City Hall for making the sojourn.

Hizzoner’s remarks came just hours after The Post and other outlets published interviews with migrants in the region who are desperate for jobs and were either unaware the mayor’s visit or undeterred from making the dangerous trip northward to the United States.

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“Is someone going to hear the voice of the mayor of the city saying ‘you’re not going to come to a five-star hotel’? I’m hoping they did,” he continued. “But I have to try everything to help this city deal with this crisis that we’re facing.”

Adams’ handling of the crisis has come under intense scrutiny as the number of arrivals continues to climb, neighborhoods have begun forcefully pushing back against new shelters opening and as his administration has threatened 15% budget cuts to free up the $12 billion it says it will need to care for the migrants over the next three years.

Sources at the time said the very reason for Adams’ trip was to bring his message that New York no longer has the resources to house or care for additional migrants directly to the people about to make the dangerous journey, in part by using local Spanish-language media.

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Officials estimates that nearly 120,000 migrants have come to the five boroughs since the crisis began roughly a year-and-a-half ago and roughly half, 63,000, remain in the city’s care.

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