New York City Mayor Eric Adams has filed a lawsuit against 17 charter bus companies that have transported over 33,000 migrants from Texas to the city, seeking $700 million in reimbursement for the cost of caring for the asylum seekers. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, alleges that the bus operators have earned millions of dollars from Texas while acting in "bad faith" to implement Governor Greg Abbott's plan to transport migrants to Democrat-run cities. The suit claims that the companies violated state law by not paying for the cost of caring for the migrants.

According to the lawsuit, approximately 33,600 migrants have been bused using these companies since the start of New York City's migrant crisis in April 2022. The coach companies were paid approximately $1,650 per person they transported, which is more than five times the average rate for one-way tickets from Texas to NYC. The city estimates that it has spent $708 million on caring for the migrants over the last 20 months, with projections of a $12 billion price tag by the end of fiscal year 2025.

The lawsuit comes after Mayor Adams issued an executive order cracking down on the bus companies, requiring them to give the city notice of their arrival and limiting when and where they can drop off migrants. However, this has led to a chaotic situation in New Jersey, with migrants arriving at all hours and local authorities directing them onto trains bound for Manhattan.

The lawsuit does not name Texas as a defendant, as states are barred from suing other states without their consent under federal guidelines. None of the bus companies reached by phone provided a comment on the lawsuit. Governor Abbott called the lawsuit “baseless” and stated that Mayor Adams may be held legally accountable for his violations. He argued that the migrants voluntarily traveled to New York City after being authorized by the Biden Administration to remain in the United States.

Mayor Adams and other city officials argue that Governor Abbott's policy of transporting migrants to New York City without having the bus companies pay for their continued care violates New York's Social Services Law. They say that the law requires anyone who brings a needy person from out of state into New York for the purpose of making them a public charge to either convey them out of state or support them at their own expense.

Adams stated that New York City has always done its part to manage the humanitarian crisis but cannot bear the costs of Texas' political ploys alone. He hopes that the lawsuit will serve as a warning to those who break the law in this way. Governor Kathy Hochul also criticized Governor Abbott for using human beings as political pawns and called for the bus companies to take responsibility for their role in the crisis. City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg argued that the bus companies are participating in a reckless scheme orchestrated by Texas to shift the costs of care to New Yorkers and overwhelm the social services system. She stated that the law is clear and that the bus companies are responsible for those costs.