New York Mayor Eric Adams has taken legal action against 17 Texas charter bus companies, seeking $708 million to cover the costs of caring for migrants transported to New York City. The lawsuit is the latest move by Mayor Adams to counter Texas Governor Greg Abbott's policy of busing migrants from the state's border to New York City.

In a video accompanying the announcement, Mayor Adams expressed his concerns over the burden placed on New York City due to what he called "reckless political ploys" from the state of Texas. He criticized Governor Abbott's utilization of migrants as political pawns and accused him of prioritizing politics over people.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul showed support for the lawsuit, joining Mayor Adams in accusing Governor Abbott of utilizing "human beings as political pawns."

This legal action follows Mayor Adams' recent executive order, which imposed restrictions on how charter buses can drop off migrants in the city. The order mandates that bus companies notify the city administration 32 hours in advance and allows drop-offs only between 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. on weekdays at a specific location in Manhattan.

However, since the implementation of the order, some bus companies, mostly chartered by the state of Texas, have found ways to bypass the new rules. They have been dropping off migrants in areas outside of New York City's jurisdiction, such as Edison, N.J., and outside the designated weekday morning time frame.

The lawsuit alleges that the charter bus companies engaged in "bad faith" conduct by knowingly implementing Governor Abbott's plan without consideration for the well-being of the transported individuals or efforts to manage the humanitarian crisis. Mayor Adams continues to advocate for federal aid to manage the influx of migrants while denouncing Governor Abbott's program as "cruel" and a manipulation of migrants as potential political pawns.

Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago has also criticized Governor Abbott's policies and issued a similar executive order restricting migrant bus drop-offs, resulting in bus companies dropping migrants outside Chicago city limits.

In addition to the lawsuit, New York City has independently funded the transport of asylum seekers to destinations outside the city. Between March and November, the city spent approximately $4.6 million on over 19,300 plane tickets for migrants seeking travel to other cities. The mayor's spokesperson emphasized that the actions of Governor Abbott differ from Mayor Adams' approach, highlighting that the Texas governor's program allegedly lacks sufficient provisions for food, water, and restroom access, while the mayor's ticketing process aims to assist migrants in reaching their preferred destinations.

Both the governments of Texas and New York City assert that the migrants are traveling voluntarily, without coercion.