New York Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday said his city has been overwhelmed by the illegal immigrant surge, which could cost $5 billion this year and is forcing him to choose between services for the migrants and for legal residents.

The Democratic mayor said each migrant costs $383 a day to house, feed and provide medical care, and the city has already helped nearly 100,000 people — including more than 57,000 migrants using city services right now.

That works out to nearly $300 million a month, and he said he expects it to get worse.

“We are past our breaking point,” he said in a dramatic demand for help. “If things do not change, our new estimates have us spending nearly $5 billion on this crisis in the current fiscal year.”

Last year it was $1.4 billion.

He said at that rate, caring for the migrants would cost as much as the city spends on parks, sanitation and the fire department combined.

Mr. Adams’ cry for help is likely to be a watershed moment in the border chaos that began with President Biden’s inauguration. Now it’s from someone in the president’s own party laying out in stark terms some of the costs Americans are bearing.

Mr. Adams said there must be “policy changes” to head off some of the new arrivals, and more federal assistance to help the city pay for services for those who do come.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.