The current state of American sanctuary cities

Sanctuary cities are buckling under the pressure of the influx of asylum-seekers

A bus carrying migrants.
Sanctuary cities are struggling to keep up with the influx of migrants.
(Image credit: Illustrated/Gettyimages)

Immigration continues to be one of the most polarizing issues in the U.S. The ongoing struggle between border states like Texas and Florida and sanctuary cities across the country embodies that tension. Since last year, thousands of people who showed up at the border seeking refuge have been mass relocated to sanctuary cities to protest the Biden administration's immigration policies. Leaders in these cities have begged the federal government to step in as the influx of immigrants has outpaced the resources they have to offer.

Recently the spotlight has been on New York City, where the situation has become so dire Mayor Eric Adams declared there was "no more room." The city's "descent from a place that was managing to keep up, just barely, with a ceaseless flow of asylum seekers to a place that had declared defeat was sudden," The New York Times wrote. "From this moment on, it's downhill," Adams said at a City Hall news conference last week. As the crisis in NYC plays out, people are looking at it as an example of how sanctuary cities handle the influx of asylum seekers.

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Theara Coleman, The Week US

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.