New York City sues Texas bus companies for bringing migrants to city

The suit claims 17 bus companies owe the city more than $700 million for costs incurred by the thousands of migrants bused in since April 2022.

New York City is suing over a dozen charter bus companies for transporting tens of thousands of migrants to the area by order of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Democratic Mayor Eric Adams filed the lawsuit in state court Thursday, claiming 17 bus companies owe his city more than $700 million in damages for the cost it incurred from the estimated 33,000 migrants that were bused in over the past 10 months. Adams claims the political move is in violation of state law that prohibits transporting and abandoning "needy persons" across state lines.

"New York City has and will continue to do our part in the asylum seeker crisis," Adams said Thursday on social media. "But we can't bear the costs alone — and we won't let those complicit in [Gov. Abbott's] scheme get away with violating our state laws ... We'll see you in court."

In response, Abbott said the lawsuit was in violation of the Constitution's commerce clause, which guarantees the right to travel among states. 

"Every migrant bused or flown to New York City did so voluntarily, after having been authorized by the Biden Administration to remain in the United States," Abbott said in a statement. "As such, they have constitutional authority to travel across the country that Mayor Adams is interfering with. If the Mayor persists in this lawsuit, he may be held legally accountable for his violations."