Migrant crisis costs could soar to $12 billion in New York City

New York City could spend as much as $12 billion on the local migrant crisis by the summer of 2025 if current arrival trends persist, according to multiple sources briefed on a new cost estimate set to be unveiled by Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday.

The new estimate eclipses the Adams administration's previous projection that the city was expected to spend about $4.3 billion by July 2024 on housing, feeding and providing services for the tens of thousands of mostly Latin American migrants who have arrived since last spring.

Under the new projection, the city will spend as much as $6.1 billion by July 2024, the sources told the Daily News, speaking on condition of anonymity to preempt an announcement from Adams planned at City Hall for Wednesday morning.

Costs are then expected to balloon, reaching the $12 billion price-tag by July 2025, according to the new estimate, which is based on current migrant arrival trends, the sources said.

Spokespeople for Adams did not immediately return requests for comment.

According to the sources, the spending projections are being jacked up because the number of migrants arriving every day has increased significantly since the mayor and the Council adopted the city's municipal budget in late June.

At the time of budget adoption, the city was on average seeing 40 migrant households arriving daily. Now, the sources said, about 100 migrant households are arriving daily.

There are already more than 57,000 migrants sleeping in the city's shelter and emergency housing systems, according to the latest data from Adams' office.

One of the sources briefed on the new estimate acknowledged a lot can happen before summer 2025 that could impact the city's financial burden. Still, the source said, no matter what happens, the city must receive more help from President Biden's administration.

"They've got all different potential scenarios but without federal help in a real way, none of them are good," the source said.

During his speech at City Hall, Adams is expected to renew his plea for Biden to do more to help the city. So far, the federal government has only committed about $130 million in migrant crisis-related aid to the city — a fraction of the more than $1.4 billion Adams' administration had already spent by the end of last month.