New York City has spent over $5 billion responding to the ongoing migrant crisis, as nearly 200,000 migrants have arrived seeking assistance since mid-2022.
According to a report by the Washington Examiner, the city has been grappling with the influx of migrants who entered the United States illegally by crossing the southern border. The NYC Humanitarian Crisis Response Tracker revealed that the five boroughs spent $4.8 billion responding to the migrant situation in fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
An additional $112 million is estimated to have been spent in the first six weeks of fiscal 2025, bringing the total expenditure to over $5 billion. The city has provided housing, food, and clothing to more than 212,000 migrants, making it the hardest-hit city nationwide as migrants seek to resettle while navigating immigration court proceedings.
The city's spending on the migrant crisis has more than doubled from fiscal year 2023 to 2024. In 2023, NYC spent $1.45 billion, while in 2024, the expenditure rose to $3.43 billion. The largest portion of the spending, nearly $2 billion, went towards housing, rent, and "initial outfitting" for migrants.
Services and supplies accounted for another $1.9 billion of the total spending. Information technology and administrative costs followed at $488 million, while food costs totaled $345 million. Medical expenses amounted to $124 million. The NYC Department of Health and Hospitals and the Department of Homeless Services were the biggest spenders across the city government, each spending nearly $4 billion.
To accommodate the influx of migrants, the city has established more than 200 impromptu shelters. This includes taking over hotels such as the City View Inn, Springhill Suites by Marriott, and the Roosevelt Hotel, costing tens of millions of dollars.
The surge in migrants arriving in New York City can be partially attributed to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's decision to provide free bus transportation to migrants from Texas to NYC. This initiative was implemented to alleviate the burden on public transportation systems in Texas border towns amid mass crossings and releases.
Since April 2022, Texas has bused 45,900 migrants to NYC, accounting for approximately one-fifth of the 212,000 migrants who have arrived in the city. The remaining migrants have reached NYC through various means, including flights, trains, and buses from other locations.
Republican Joseph Borelli, the minority leader of the New York City Council, provided testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee in September 2023. At that time, he stated that the city had anticipated spending $12 billion over three years.
This projection suggests that if the migrant situation persists, New York City's financial burden may continue to grow in the coming years.
However, recent data indicates a significant decline in the number of migrants crossing the southern border. In December 2023, Border Patrol agents arrested nearly 250,000 individuals attempting to enter the country illegally from Mexico. By July 2024, preliminary data obtained by the Washington Examiner showed that migrant arrests had dropped below 60,000.
This decrease in border crossings may lead to fewer new arrivals seeking assistance in cities across the country, potentially easing the financial strain on New York City and other affected municipalities. However, the long-term impact of the migrant crisis on the city's resources and infrastructure remains to be seen.
New York City's spending on the migrant crisis has surpassed $5 billion, with the majority of funds allocated to housing, services, and supplies. The city has housed, fed, and clothed over 212,000 migrants since mid-2022, making it the most impacted city in the nation. While recent data shows a decline in border crossings, the financial burden on NYC remains significant, with future projections suggesting continued high spending in the coming years.
