NYC Mayor Eric Adams cancels border trip, citing safety concerns

March 24 (UPI) -- Safety concerns prompted New York City Mayor Eric Adams to cancel a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday, his office announced.

Adams was scheduled to depart Saturday night to visit Brownsville and McAllen, Texas, and was to meet with U.S. immigration leaders as his city struggles to house new migrants seeking asylum.

His spokesperson, Amaris Cockfield, said Sunday that the State Department expressed safety concerns at one of the mayor's planned stops in Mexico, and the trip was postponed.

Adams was invited to the southern border by Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande, Cockfield said.

"As Lent draws to a close, our team was excited to stand with faith and humanitarian leaders who have dedicated their lives to serving the most needy among us and we were eager to discuss our work in New York City and explore new ways to collaborate with leaders in cities across the country," Cockfield said in a statement.

"We hope to continue our partnership with these nationally-recognized Latino leaders and organizations as we look for concrete solutions to resolve the crisis at the border."

Adams visited El Paso, Texas, in January, during which he criticized the federal government's response to the increase of immigrants coming into U.S. cities far from the border.

More than 180,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022, according to the mayor's office. More than 64,000 are in the city's 200 emergency shelter sites.

Last week, city officials and human rights advocates reached an agreement on Adams' effort to suspend the city's "right to shelter " policy.

Adams, also a former New York Police Department officer, took a four-day trip through Latin America in October during which he made stops in Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia and implored people to stop making the dangerous trip to the U.S.

The agreement ends the city's requirement to provide shelter for adult immigrants with no time limits. Under the new policy, officials can decide whether to allow a migrant to stay in a shelter beyond 30 days on a case-by-case basis.

The city can decide to grant additional time if a person shows "significant efforts to resettle," which can include making an appointment with an immigration lawyer, applying for a resettlement program or proving that they're searching for housing.