Adams cancels southern border trip, cites ‘safety concerns’ in Mexico

Craig McCarthy, Rich Calder
·2 min read
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Mayor Eric Adams abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the southern border this weekend, citing “safety concerns” in a Mexican city he intended to visit.

“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,” mayoral spokeswoman Amaris Cockfield said in a statement Saturday.

“But due to safety concerns at one of the cities we were going to visit in Mexico flagged by the U.S. Department of State, we have decided to pause this visit at this time,” Cockfield said.

Mayor Eric Adams abruptly cancelled a trip to the southern border this weekend, citing “safety concerns” in a Mexican city he planned to visit. Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com
Mayor Eric Adams abruptly cancelled a trip to the southern border this weekend, citing “safety concerns” in a Mexican city he planned to visit. Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com

The Mayor’s Office did not immediately provide information about which city had safety concerns.

Adams was invited to head south to Mexico by Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in San Juan.

He announced the trip to the Texas-Mexico border shortly after dozens of migrants rushed a border wall in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday.

The jaunt south would have been his second such trip to the Lone Star State since the start of the migrant crisis two years ago.

Adams was invited to head south to Mexico by Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in San Juan. Boston Globe via Getty Images
Adams was invited to head south to Mexico by Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in San Juan. Boston Globe via Getty Images
Migrants continued to cross the Rio Grande river into the United States. James Breeden / MEGA
Migrants continued to cross the Rio Grande river into the United States. James Breeden / MEGA

It also would have marked City Hall’s latest attempt to draw national attention to the financial burden the migrant influx has put on the Big Apple and pressure the Biden administration to step up.

Adams last cancelled a trip in November when he called off meetings with White House officials in Washington DC about the migrant crisis, shortly after learning the FBI raided the Brooklyn home of his chief fundraiser as part of an ongoing probe into his 2021 mayoral campaign.

Nearly 185,000 migrants have arrived in Big Apple since spring 2022, and the city is caring for about 65,000.

The city has already spent more than $4 billion dealing with its migrant crisis, and Adams projects the price tag with soar to $12 billion by the end of fiscal year 2025.