NYC – Adams’ Budget Fails Workers Says Immigration Advocate

Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, of New York Immigration Coalition: “New Yorkers are tired of Eric Adams’ mismanagement, blame game, and numbers that just don’t add up. Adams has spent the last two years scapegoating immigrants for all the City’s problems, while simultaneously overinflating the costs associated with recent arrivals. Drastic cuts were imposed on our public programs, only to be magically reversed because they were never needed in the first place.

When we look back at how Adams has welcomed our newest neighbors, he chose cruelty and fear-mongering over investments in our communities and future. He doubled down on shelter evictions and refused to implement cost-effective policies – like getting more people into stable housing – which would actually put people, and our City, on the pathway to success. The ‘savings’ being celebrated in today’s preliminary budget actually just are reduced cost projections that reflect the reality of our City’s finances, not an accomplishment of effective budgeting and policy. 

The simple fact is that ordinary people still can’t afford to live in New York City. And Adams has made our affordability crisis worse. As long as our City budget keeps ignoring the needs of working-class families, too many New Yorkers will continue to struggle. Even now, as the incoming Trump administration threatens drastic cuts to social programs federally, Adams is proposing slashing funding for social services including education, mental health and parks, while underinvesting in 3-K/pre-K, libraries, and CityFHEPS rental assistance – key programs that secure the needs of working New York families. Prioritizing the police budget isn’t going to help families put food on their tables.”