New York City Major Eric Adams announced on Thursday that he is suing bus companies for over $700 million for busing undocumented persons to the state. This is truly a thing to behold. It is a frivolous lawsuit based on an absurd law motivated by raw hypocrisy. In the meantime, the Biden Administration has been flying migrants to outside the city but no lawsuit is expected.
New York City politicians have long heralded their status as a sanctuary city. Yet, it is now taking various methods to prevent migrants from seeking sanctuary by threatening anyone who brings them to the city.
The lawsuit will rely on New York Social Services Law § 149, which requires that “[a]ny person who knowingly brings, or causes to be brought, a needy person from out of state into this state for the purpose of making him a public charge…shall be obligated to convey such person out of state or support him at his own expense.”
Of course, these companies are not transporting people to make them a public charge. They are transporting these people because they or a third party paid the fare for transport. That statute expressly allows the commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) to sue to recover costs.
In seeking to impose crippling fines and damages on transportation companies, the lawsuit will likely be challenged as unconstitutional due to its vagueness, curtailment of interstate travel, and a host of other glaring problems.
This is clearly an effort to grind companies financially. It is doubtful that anyone in New York seriously believes that they can force bus or airline companies to pay for migrants coming to a self-proclaimed sanctuary city. It is a cynical effort to impose litigation costs on companies to get them to refuse to accept such contracts. Yet, how is a company supposed to determine if someone purchasing a ticket is a potential “public charge.” Does that apply to anyone who is impoverished? What proof of support is needed from the passenger? Such inquiries could themselves violate legal and constitutional protections.
Transportation companies sell seats for transport. They are not responsible for those who purchase the tickets for their ultimate support. They are not responsible for the costs that a traveler may impose on a given city. If that were the case, I would sue the airlines everytime they fly the Packers to Chicago to play football. (Now that I think about it ….hmmm)
This is a transparent weaponization of our legal system.
The bus companies are being paid by NGOs like Catholic Relief Services who are making millions. The money to pay the NGOs — who recruit all over the world — comes from the $1.5 trillion “supplemental” package passed last year by Congress. The American people elected these fools to Congress. So we have no one to blame but ourselves for the invasion of our country.
The failed policies of the unhinged progressive left are coming back to haunt morons like Eric Adams who promoted them. This country is on the middle of a massive trauma brought about by mass cognitive dissonance of half the population, who will see their cities and organizations collapse under the weight of their own stupidity.
Are you saying that there is massive moral hazard in the so called safetynet ?
Wow! Amazing! Economics 101 proves correct.
Seems almost foolheartedly belated too since southern states have already shifted strategy from busing to rails. Abbot might bus them as far as New Jersey but New Jersey Transit is now placing them on trains into NYC. And needless to say, cry as the mayor might, Biden administration, ruthlessly corrupt, will extract its revenge, in form of failure to render aid.
Adams et al wield Cecile’s scalpel in sanctuary jurisdictions under the established Pro-Choice [ethical] religion. Time will tell if they can abort the baby… “fetus”, cannibalize her profitable parts, sequester her carbon pollutants, and have #HerToo.
Buses don’t transport people, bus companies transport people. Scratch “bus” / insert “gun”. New York thinks this kind of “lawfare” is a legitimate tool to enforce Orwellian Goodthink.
Follow the precedent set by the residents of Martha’s Vineyard, and deport the “burdens”…. uh, illegal aliens. That said, emigration reform to mitigate progress at both ends of the bridge and throughout.
it is clear Democrats want failure to get more federal money!
The answer is take away the money….end all Federal Aid to cities, states, colleges and any non-profit where anyone gets $100k+ of benefit.
Let Democrats fund their failures!
all people using government money to help illegals should be JAILED!
The Democrats obviously are backed by people who wish to Destroy America
If you vote for ONE Democrat or RINO…you are at FAULT!
“show us your papers”
Democrat Fascists! They are NO Different than 1930 European Fascists in Germany, Italy, etc
the US border should be defended with deadly force
Waiting to see which place caves first and revokes its sanctuary status and what creative language is concocted to make it sound like that isn’t what they are doing. Bubbles of privilege are popping all over the place.
While suing the bus companies seems misguided, the statute certainly seems to give NYC a case against Texas/Greg Abbott. I don’t understand the strategy here.
While suing the bus companies seems misguided, the statute certainly seems to give NYC a case against Texas/Greg Abbott. I don’t understand the strategy here.
to the Constitutionally illiterate maybe.
The people on the buses are here with Documents. Those documents were Provided by Joe Biden. That means they have constitutional rights like freedom of movement. This was a dead idea before pen was put to cocktail napkin.
It is a very typical Democrat PR stunt, to appease their low information voters. Those voters believe all the lies uttered by Democrats. NYC knows this goes no where in court. They might get a lower court victory, then the appellate court will overturn it on a Friday of a long weekend. All the dem voters know that NYC won in court, never hearing about the overturning on appeal, because the fact fail to advance the narretive, so the media will memory hole the entire process
Wow, talk about not understanding the question. The question is whether Abbott sent them to become wards of the City of New York. Whether they are documented or not and Constitutional rights has literally nothing to do with it.
I hesitate to call myself a Democrat, as I disagree with a lot of what the party does, but I usually vote that way and certainly voted for Biden because he’s not Trump. But I’m a lawyer first, and clearly see this lawsuit as a meritless publicity stunt.
And I just *love* how you think Democrats are the low information voters, when its Republicans that eat up things like election fraud and Covid-conspiracies. I assure you, there’s low information voters on both sides, but the Republicans have the lion’s share.
The law is hopeless garbage.
First the constitution bars states from interfering in private contracts.
The law violates that.
Next all companies have ONE intent in all they do – to make money.
They do not intend to make people a public charge – ever. That MIGHT be an unintended but predictable consequence.
Which is another problem with the law – I can not think of anyone that can EVER intend to make someone a public charge.
Abbott who NYC can not sue – he has immunity as governor. NYC could try suing TX – but I doubt that would go so well.
SCOTUS has already recognized a right to travel.
Regardless, Abbott does not intend to make these people a public charge either.
Abbott merely intended to alter WHERE they are a public charge. They are already a public charge.
All this law does is point out How F’d up left wing nuts are.
Which is another problem with the law – I can not think of anyone that can EVER intend to make someone a public charge.
Not so. The law was probably originally intended for charitable organizations or people, who help bring the indigent to NY and, as part of that process, immediately help them sign up for every benefit they can get. Their long-term goal may (or may not) be to have them find their feet and become independent, but their immediate goal is to foist as much of their support as they can onto the public fisc.
Democrat logic,
“We are a sanctuary city! We pass laws to protect all those seeking sanctuary!”
Then those seeking sanctuary start showing up,
“Wait! We only meant it if you stayed in Red States! And we cannot address the source of the issue, Biden’s failure to secure the Southern border! If there was only a way to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into our country! Didnt someone do that just a few years . . . . oh, uh, INSURRECTION!!!”
Another great point made by Upstate!
More sanctimoniousl BS from the party of Jefferson. Suing a bus company for delivering passengers to their desired destination. Delivering sanctuary seekers to a sanctuary city. Next thing you know they will be trying to destroy businesses who are already functioning in their sate and city. Oh! Wait! They are already doing that to many businesses who have left and they are trying to dissolve others.
Is Mayor Adams going to walk down to the East River or the Hudson and command them to not flow because they hinder traffic or stopping tourists from touring NY City?
Such is the hypocrisy of the modern democratic-progressive mindset.
(King Canute was not invoked since his story is often misrepresented.- One must do one’s research after all)
NYC and other major Blue cities. You want to be a sanctuary city. This is the result when you have weak leadership in the federal government at all levels. Got a problem take it up with President Biden and DHS.
Indeed. These cities want to be able to virtue brag about being a sanctuary city, but they don’t want the actual responsibility of providing the sanctuary.
But, but, but,…They’re a sanctuary city!!!!
Mayor Adams and NY’s sanctuary city policies, free hotels, food 5 stars, Biden Admin/DEMS policies are the real problems. Rather blaming other states or bus companies Mayor Adams needs to stop the free hotels, free food and just say NO. Perhaps send his own buses to Delaware, Washington DC, Washington suburbs ( Maryland and VA).
so Blue state logic is now migrants can only squat in red states?
And you are a Xenophobe if you think otherwise.
No one should be able to travel by train, bus or airplane without producing a valid credit card before boarding.
Why?
To make sure all passengers are solvent and not public charges.
It’s a false assumption that those with credit cards are solvent. Also public charges can have credit cards.
The damages are absurd. He could have offered each immigrant $1,000 to be bussed back to Texas. Problem solved!
You can not transport someone for the purpose of MAKING them a public charge.
They are already a public charge.
The law is absurdly stupid.
No one ever intends to make another person a public charge.
But Absolutely TX intends to transport an existing Public charge from TX to NYC.
Adam’s is suing the bus company because suing TX is going nowhere.
All that is going on here is leftwing nut cities are trying to FORCE border states to keep the illegal immigrants that are flooding into the country, but intimidating bus companies into refusing to transport these people.
But Adam’s can try to game this all he wants. Worst comes to worse – TX buys the busses and the state transports these people.
@ john say
Thanks & Blessings for your insightful commentary!
Why does that matter ? SCOTUS long ago decided there is a right to travel.
Are you saying people can not walk or bicycle, or drive in their own car or the car of a friend from one state to another without a credit card ?
Or vote.
Mayor Adams should sue the organizations who PAID the bus companies to bring them to New York. Just a thought…..
New York invited them to come.
He should SUE Joe Biden who opened up the border for these invaders and flew them into NY in the middle of the night to avoid detection.
Because that is what we need ? More stupid lawsuits ?
The law is garbage. There is no way that anyone can ever possibly violate it except by excercising a constitutional right, which therefore makes the law unconstitutional.
The obvious problem is with the idiotic entitlement laws.
The buss companies should counter sue Adams for tortuous interference in contract.
Isn’t Adams in violation of the Interstate Commerce Act?
But, but, but…They’re a sanctuary city… the irony is killing me.
There is NO ONE more hate filled, greedy and HYPOCRITE than a Democrat!
In reality, that is backwards; it should be understood that there have always been hate-filled, greedy hypocrites, it’s just that now they, and the islamic jihafis and chinese communists are running this sh*t show. People don’t change – only labels. Now it is up to us to use laws to control these types.