Biden arrives in NYC for UN assembly – after Mayor Eric Adams and Hillary Clinton slams him over migrant crisis overwhelming the Big Apple
- The President arrived in the Big Apple via Air Force One on Sunday evening
- He will address world leaders at the UN Assembly in New York early next week
- Biden has been heavily criticized over his handling of the city’s migrant crisis
Joe Biden has arrived in New York City for the UN Assembly meeting amid a growing cacophony of criticism over his handling of the Big Apple’s migrant crisis.
The president traveled via Air Force One from the White House to New York on Sunday evening, causing a major traffic pile-up as his motorcade made its way from JFK to the city center.
He will address world leaders early next week at the summit, where climate change, poverty and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be top of the agenda.
The city’s Department of Transportation has issued a gridlock alert with extensive street closures Monday through Friday due to the conference, which will be attended by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.
But the president’s motorcade isn’t the only thing causing chaos on New York highways, as the city struggles to cope with overwhelming numbers of asylum seekers and many have been forced to sleep on the street as they await processing.
Biden might be keen to avoid his City Hall counterparts next week as they continue to fire criticism at him at every opportunity over the handling of the crisis.
Around 10,000 refugees are pouring into New York each month, and Mayor Eric Adams warned the problem is now threatening to ‘destroy’ the city.
He blamed a lack of federal support, a ‘broken’ nationwide immigration system and Republicans bussing refugees from their own states into the city for the emergency.
Meanwhile, Biden’s administration have passed the humanitarian issue like a hot potato back to local officials, blaming them for having ‘no exit strategy’ for processing thousands of people.
Former New York senator Hillary Clinton has also weighed in on the issue, urging Biden to do more to help the beleaguered Big Apple.
Two sources close to Clinton told NBC New York she agrees with Adams’ assessment of the problem – that a lack of White House help is to blame.
But the president’s attention will be on global issues at the UN summit, including the war in Ukraine as its visiting president takes center stage.
For the first time in years, Biden will be the only leader from the five powerful veto-wielding nations on the U.N. Security Council attending in person.
This has sparked private grumbling from developing-country diplomats that key global players won´t be listening to their demands, which need billions of dollars to implement.
The conference also comes as a recent UN report warned the world is not on track to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement climate targets.
Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of New York on Sunday to call for increased action against climate change ahead of the meeting.
Protesters from some 700 organizations and activist groups carried signs reading ‘Biden, end fossil fuels’ and ‘I didn’t vote for fires and floods’ in a demonstration that came on the heels of a summer marked by multiple climate change-linked disasters.
‘We are here to demand that the administration declare a climate emergency,’ said Analilia Mejia, director of the activist group Center for Popular Democracy.
‘We must wake up and take immediate action,’ she told AFP.
A UN climate report released this month named 2025 as the deadline for global greenhouse gas emissions to peak – followed by a sharp drop thereafter – if humanity is to cap global warming in line with Paris Agreement targets.
Later on Sunday, the streets of New York were blocked again, this time by traffic gridlock as central highways were shut for the president’s motorcade to pass through.
Motorists fumed over the traffic chaos on Twitter. ‘F*** the United Nations, NYC and crackhead Mayor Adams creating traffic chaos and complete gridlock on a Sunday,’ one man called Jonathan fumed.
‘They block streets, bridges, and tunnels while they escort, fast lane and lay the red carpet for outsiders with a police note of ‘use mass transit’ to you peasants.’
Another man questioned how much more pollution shutting down the streets would cause ahead of the climate-focused summit.
‘Maybe he should have taken the air train from JFK,’ he said.
‘F*** YOU to the UN in NYC for DESTROYING the traffic along 1st and making 40 minute bus ride almost two hours,’ a frustrated passenger chimed in.
