Payam Javan; New York City officials are seeking to suspend the right-to-shelter law, blaming it for hindering their response to the illegal immigration crisis.

City attorneys filed a letter with the New York Supreme Court on Oct. 3, requesting modifications to the consent judgment that established the decades-old mandate. The law, requiring the city to provide beds to those who ask, was deemed “onerous” and unsuitable for the current circumstances by officials.

Mayor Eric Adams, initially supportive, now argues that the right-to-shelter doesn’t apply to the migrant crisis, with over 122,700 asylum seekers arriving since spring 2022. The city has spent over $2 billion so far, with projected costs exceeding $12 billion for three years, leading officials to assert that the status quo is unsustainable.