Migrant Busing Turned Out to Be a Political Coup for Republicans

Who would have thought that, for the low, low price of a bus ticket, you could compel your political opponents to make the very arguments against unchecked illegal immigration that you’ve been making for years? Apparently, the Republican governors of Texas and Florida, among others — though even they probably couldn’t have imagined what a spectacular political success their respective migrant-relocation programs would be.

We have “reached our limit,” said a spokesman for New York City mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday evening. The city has been compelled to engage in emergency measures including requisitioning gyms to house the number of migrants seeking asylum in the Big Apple. But with over 61,000 migrants descending on the city in the last year, New York is out of contingency plans. The mayor’s office revealed last night that it would suspend its policy of guaranteeing the “right to shelter” to migrants crossing America’s southern border.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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Who would have thought that, for the low, low price of a bus ticket, you could compel your political opponents to make the very arguments against unchecked illegal immigration that you’ve been making for years? Apparently, the Republican governors of Texas and Florida, among others — though even they probably couldn’t have imagined what a spectacular political success their respective migrant-relocation programs would be.

We have “reached our limit,” said a spokesman for New York City mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday evening. The city has been compelled to engage in emergency measures including requisitioning gyms to house the number of migrants seeking asylum in the Big Apple. But with over 61,000 migrants descending on the city in the last year, New York is out of contingency plans. The mayor’s office revealed last night that it would suspend its policy of guaranteeing the “right to shelter” to migrants crossing America’s southern border.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.