Eric Adams announces sweeping NYC budget cuts due to migrant crisis, slashes NYPD to lowest levels since 1980s

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced massive budget cuts for the Big Apple with far-reaching cuts to the NYPD force, education, and libraries. City officials say the deep budget cuts stem from the current migrant crisis, and warn there could be future financial restraints if the illegal immigrant situation continues.

Effective immediately, the New York Police Department must freeze all hiring and reduce the number of law enforcement officers from more than 33,000 to 30,000. The last time New York City had fewer than 30,000 officers was in 1984, according to the Independent Budget Office.

Patrick Hendry – NYC’s police union president – warned that the budget cuts would hamper the police department's ability to keep New Yorkers safe.

“This is truly a disaster for every New Yorker who cares about safe streets,” Hendry said. “Cops are already stretched to our breaking point, and these cuts will return us to staffing levels we haven’t seen since the crime epidemic of the ’80s and ’90s. We cannot go back there.”

While he was a mayoral candidate, Adams made campaign promises to beef up the police force and railed against the "Defund the Police" movement.

The New York Fire Department will have overtime limited. Any civilian and light-duty firefighter vacancies will be eliminated.

The budget cuts will slash the budget of the New York City Education Department by more than $1 billion – $547 million will be cut this fiscal year and another $600 million in 2025, according to Fox 5 New York. The outlet added, "There will be expansive 5% budget cuts at every city agency, which are expected to happen again two more times next year."

The city’s Summer Rising program – which provides children with recreational activities during the summer months – will be forced to reduce hours for middle school students.

The New York Times reported that the city is "eliminating thousands of spots for universal prekindergarten for 3-year-olds" and " community schools are being cut by $10 million in the current fiscal year."

Michael Mulgrew – president of the United Federation of Teachers – noted that the budget restraints would cause 653 schools to make midyear budget cuts — approximately 43% of the school system.

Mulgrew declared, "Class sizes will rise, and school communities will be needlessly damaged."

The NYC school system has already been stressed due to the migrant crisis after an additional 8,000 students enrolled in the city's public school system this year – the first enrollment increase in eight years.

Starting in December, public libraries will close branches on Sundays because of the budget cuts.

NYC library leaders stated, "We also will be reducing spending on library materials, programming, and building maintenance and repairs. Without sufficient funding, we cannot sustain our current levels of service, and any further cuts to the libraries’ budgets will, unfortunately, result in deeper service impacts."

Adams described the budget cuts as "the most painful exercise I’ve ever done in my professional life."

Adams said on Tuesday, "It is more than painful for New Yorkers — it’s painful for us. I’ve seen a great deal of just personal pain from the members of my team. These are initiatives that we fought hard for."

Adams called on the Biden administration to provide federal aid to the city for the migrant influx.

“No city should be left to handle a national humanitarian crisis largely on its own, and without the significant and timely support we need from Washington, D.C., today’s budget will be only the beginning," Adams said in a statement.

“For months, we have warned New Yorkers about the challenging fiscal situation our city faces,” Adams continued. “To balance the budget as the law requires, every city agency dug into their own budget to find savings, with minimal disruption to services,” he said. “And while we pulled it off this time, make no mistake: Migrant costs are going up, tax revenue growth is slowing and COVID stimulus funding is drying up.”

Adams warned that there would be even more budget cuts if the federal government doesn't provide more financial and logistical aid for the surge of illegal immigrants.

New York City has already spent $1.45 billion on the "asylum seeker humanitarian crisis."

Adams said the migrant crisis would cost New York City an estimated $11 billion over the next two years.

An estimated 10,000 illegal immigrants have recently funneled into New York City per month.

While on the campaign trail, Adams proclaimed that New York City would be a sanctuary city.

In October 2021, Adams declared: "We should protect our immigrants. Period. Yes, New York City will remain a sanctuary city under an Adams administration."

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