OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden’s lead over his most likely 2024 rival, Donald Trump, is steadily eroding in a deep-blue enclave — New York City — over an issue that heavily favors the former president.
The New York Daily News reported Tuesday that New York residents are growing increasingly concerned over the tidal wave of illegal immigrants that have flooded the city, leaving them angry at Biden, with the presidential election just 13 months away.
The outlet cited a new Siena College poll of voters that said a growing majority of New Yorkers agreed with Mayor Eric Adams that the continued influx would “destroy” the city.
“Seldom do we see an issue where at least 79% of Democrats, Republicans, independents, men, women, upstaters, downstaters, blacks, whites, Latinos, Catholics, Jews, and Protestants all agree: the migrant influx is a serious problem,” pollster David Greenberg noted.
The Daily News adds: “Biden slumps to new lows in the poll, which said 52% of New Yorkers disapprove of the job he’s doing and just 45% approve.”
What’s more, Biden’s lead over Trump in the latter’s home city has fallen to “an anemic 46%-to-37% margin in deep blue New York, compared to a 20-point edge just last month,” the Daily News added.
Biden’s edge falls to just 7 percent when independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or liberal Prof. Cornel West are added to the mix.
“The good news for Biden is the election is more than a year away,” Greenberg said. “The bad news is there’s more bad news.”
In 2020, Biden defeated Trump in the state of New York by a 61-38 percent margin.
The Daily News added:
The poll suggests the increasing number of migrants arriving in New York continues to be a major issue driving negative views of the state’s Democratic leaders and Biden.
By an overwhelming 35% margin, New Yorkers say authorities should “work to slow the flow of migrants rather than accept and assimilate them,” the poll said.
Even though New Yorkers disapprove of the job Adams is doing on the migrants, 57% “seriously agree” with his claim the influx could “destroy” the Big Apple, compared to 32% who disagree.
During then-President Trump’s term, New York City mayoral candidate Adams blasted his policies of strictly enforcing the country’s immigration laws.
Adams, in a social media post, boasted that, under his administration, New York would remain “a sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants.
But now, after months of having tens of thousands of them bussed to his city by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), Adams is complaining about the massive influx and how it is going to “destroy” his city.
“I’m gonna tell you something, New Yorkers, never in my life have I had a problem that I didn’t see an ending to. I don’t see an ending to this… This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City,” Adams told the city council and other officials this week, according to a video clip posted on social media.
He then took aim at the Biden administration.
“Month after month I stood up and said this is gonna come to a neighborhood near you. Well, we’re here, we’re getting no support on this national crisis, and we’re receiving no support,” he said, adding that 10,000 migrants per month are flooding into the city (see video below).
“One hundred ten thousand migrants we have to feed, clothe, house, educate the children, wash their laundry sheets, give them everything they need, health care,” Adams said. “Now we’re getting Western Africa, now we’re getting people from all over the globe that made their minds up that they’re gonna come through the southern border and coming to New York City.”
“Everyone is saying it is New York City’s problem. Every community in this city is going to be impacted. We have a $12 billion deficit that we’re going to have to cut. Every service in this city is going to be impacted, all of us,” Adams said.
