In response to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ recent executive order regulating the arrival of migrant buses from other states, they have now begun dropping off asylum seekers at various NJ Transit stations in New Jersey. This move appears to be an effort to circumvent the restrictions imposed by New York City, which aims to bring more structure to the process of migrant arrivals by allowing drop offs only at a single 41st location.
Approximately 13 buses from Texas and Louisiana, carrying around 450 migrants, have been redirected to New Jersey since Saturday. Key transit hubs like Secaucus, Fanwood, Edison, and Trenton are now the primary drop-off points.
Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli observed that migrants are being dropped off at the train station in Secaucus Junction and then taking trains into New York City. He described this as a loophole found by bus operators to bypass New York’s stringent regulations in the wake of Adam’s executive order.
The order, intended to manage the large influx of migrants, requires charter bus companies to give 32 hours’ advance notice and restricts drop-off times to weekday mornings and a single location. Non-compliance could lead to misdemeanors, fines, and impounding of buses.
New Jersey officials, including Governor Phil Murphy’s spokesperson Tyler Jones, acknowledge the state’s role as a transit point for migrants heading to New York City. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop noted the change in bus routes but expressed no immediate concern about the migrants’ passage through the state.
Joining mayors of Chicago and Denver, Adams has renewed calls for more federal help and coordination with Texas over the increasing number of asylum seekers. They seek more federal funds, expanded work authorization, and a scheduled arrival of buses to better prepare for and assist migrants.
