New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced a lawsuit against 17 bus and transportation companies helping to send asylum-seekers to the city as it deals with major budget issues surrounding the crisis.

The city is seeking $708 million in the lawsuit to cover costs for caring for migrants.

“New York City has and will always do our part to manage this humanitarian crisis, but we cannot bear the costs of reckless political ploys from the state of Texas alone,” Adams said in a statement. "Today, we are taking legal action against 17 companies that have taken part in Texas Governor [Greg] Abbott’s scheme to transport tens of thousands of migrants to New York City in an attempt to overwhelm our social services system.

He continued, “These companies have violated state law by not paying the cost of caring for these migrants, and that’s why we are suing to recoup approximately $700 million already spent to care for migrants sent here in the last two years by Texas.”

  • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Ok, but isn’t Texas paying for the tickets? I mean I’m sure the bus companies aren’t bussing people 3/4 the way across the country for free and those migrants aren’t likely to be able to afford a cross-country bus ticket.
    So the bus companies are just accepting a fare and doing the services they were paid for, why should it be up to a private company to ensure citizenship before letting people on the bus?
    It’s just ridiculous that Abbott is the one doing all of this and Private companies will pay the price, can we at least once let a politician pay the price for the shitty things they’ve done instead passing the blame elsewhere?

    • bostonbananarama@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Are you honestly suggesting that the bus companies might be unaware of what they’re doing? That seems preposterous to me. Greg Abbott isn’t walking up to the ticket window purchasing two tickets to NYC, these busses are specifically chartered for this purpose.

      • Tathas@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find out that Abbot is friends with people who are financially invested in these bus companies.

      • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’m suggesting Greg Abbott should also pay some kind of price because he’s financing the whole deal.
        I’m honestly kind of shocked so many people don’t seem to think this is his problem at all. Why should the bus companies pay ALL of the price when Abbott is behind the whole thing. But fuck it, I’m wrong and Abbott did nothing wrong I guess 🤷‍♂️

        • BassTurd@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          The bus lines can sue Abbott or Texas then. The buses know what they are doing and have done, they aren’t innocent fodder in this, they are accessories. Play stupid games, win stupid fines.

        • bignate
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          1 year ago

          There’s a comment above about this: I’m sure New York City (or any other city, really) would love to sue Abbot. But suing a state would be much harder, and probably much lengthier. If there’s even the threat of a lawsuit, most bus companies would at least think twice about accepting the job.

    • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      The companies are participating in human trafficking for profit.

      They and their co-conspirators in TX government are jointly and severally liable.

      Both should be sued for money. The Texas politicians should be criminally charged as well.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If NYC sues Texas and gets Abbot to stop, he’ll keep trafficking migrants to Chicago. If NYC sues bus companies and gets them to stop enabling this stunt, it will stop fir all such stunts