NYC Council off to D.C. to talk migrant crisis amid fraying relations between Adams, Biden

A delegation of City Council members is planning to travel to Washington on Tuesday to meet with administration and legislative officials amid growing concern over fraying relations between Mayor Adams and President Biden over the ongoing migrant crisis in New York City.

The Council delegation will meet with White House officials, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other members of Congress on an array of issues, including the migrant crisis, homelessness and education. Among those traveling are Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, Finance Committee Chairman Justin Brannan and Council members Selvena Brooks-Powers and Keith Powers, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

Aside from White House and congressional officials, the delegation will also meet with top officials from several federal agencies, including the Housing and Urban Development Department, the Health and Human Services Department and the Small Business Administration.

The group plans to seek additional funding from HUD and other agencies to address both the needs of longtime New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, as well as those of the migrants. Among the asks expected are a request to include more money for affordable housing production, a rules change that would allow federal subsidies to go toward new mixed-income developments and additional funding for preschoolers with disabilities.

The trip comes as tensions between Biden and Mayor Adams have heightened, with Adams criticizing the federal government’s response to the migrant crisis on a now-regular basis.

Weeks ago, Adams was included on a list of surrogates who were chosen by Biden’s presidential campaign to talk up the commander-in-chief. But Adams was removed from that group after calling out Biden by name in his criticisms of the federal response to the migrant issue.

The trip is also unusual given that Adams is the city’s executive and the mayor has traditionally served as the conduit for the city when it comes to dealing with the federal government — not the City Council.

One source told the Daily News that the trip reflects not only a pressing need for solutions, especially when it comes to migrants, but growing frustration with Adams from the White House and members of the city’s congressional delegation.

Adams has not only criticized Biden, but has also chastised elected leaders closer to home for not traveling to D.C. to lobby lawmakers and officials for more aid and legislative action aimed at tamping down the influx of migrants to the city.

So far, the Adams administration estimates more than 72,000 migrants have come to the Big Apple since last spring.

Adams was asked Monday when he last spoke to Biden one-on-one. He did not specify an exact time.

“We sent a letter — we being four of the mayors who are being impacted by this — we sent a letter to the White House to request a meeting with the president,” Adams said. “The last time I spoke face-to-face with the president was probably earlier this year on this topic. At an event, I had the opportunity to speak with him, but other than that, we have not. We just sent a letter to the White House.”