A new poll shows that most New York City residents blame the influx of migrants for the city's crime rate.
The poll, conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek, found that 70% blame migrants for the current crime rate, 41% say immigration is having a significant impact, and 31% say it has a "fair amount" of impact; 18% of those surveyed said it had a small impact, while 10% said it had no impact.
The New York Police Department recently released crime data for April that showed overall crime decreasing 4.9% while seeing declines in murder, grand larceny-auto, burglary, and felony assault, compared to April of 2023, according to Newsweek.
Shooting incidents fell from 71 to 60, with shooting victims falling from 80 to 69, the NYPD said.
"Year to date through the end of April, 65 fewer people were shot in New York City, an 18.7% decline over the same period last year," the NYPD said. "Twenty-one fewer people were murdered, a 15.9% reduction."
In January, six migrants were charged with attacking New York City police officers in Times Square. One of the migrants was arrested while out on bail.
Yohenry Brito, 24, one of those charged, was arrested last week for petty larceny after an activist Brooklyn priest posted his $15,000 cash bail in February.
Although the Manhattan district attorney's office requested $10,000 cash bail, a judge set him free at his Saturday arraignment.
According to Anne Williams-Isom, the city's deputy mayor for health and human services, there are more than 197,100 migrants in New York City and 50,000 applications from people seeking asylum.
Mayor Eric Adams proposed hiring migrants as lifeguards because they make "excellent swimmers."