1 choice of where they wanted to go was New York City,” he said. New York, home to the nation’s largest number of immigrants, has long attracted migrants who come here with connections to jobs, relatives or friends — avoiding the city’s shelter intake centers and public scrutiny. That is especially true in New York, which has recently drawn thousands of migrants with no connection to the city. Immigrant experts — as well as many migrants interviewed by The New York Times — said that an underlying reason is the city’s obligation to provide shelter to anyone who needs it. “Imagine if you have no connection to family, someone telling you, you can stay without cost to you in Manhattan, in the middle of the city,” Mr. Chishti said.

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Persons: ”, Mayor Adams —, Muzaffar Chishti, The New York Times —, Mr, Chishti Organizations: Migration Policy Institute, The New York Times Locations: New York City, New York, Manhattan