New York City Mayor Eric Adams has become one of the Democratic Party’s most vocal critics of unchecked illegal immigration in recent months, though his outspokenness did not surface until the Big Apple began receiving an influx of undocumented migrants who initially crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas.

While Adams has expressed some criticism of the Biden administration, he has also lobbed a number of personal attacks in the direction of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who initiated a program whereby migrants from his state would be transported to New York City and other so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

In addition to publicly addressing an issue he said would “destroy” the nation’s most populous city, Adams also made a trip to the southern border in early 2023 during which he called for more federal assistance in addressing the migrant crisis.

On the ground in El Paso last night. This is a national crisis and we need a national solution. Mayors like @OscarLeeser and I are on the front lines and we need federal support. pic.twitter.com/MkD8xZelNf

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) January 15, 2023

“We’re pointing the finger … at our national government,” he said at the time. “This is a national problem. We must have real immigration reform and we must immediately have a short-term fix of making sure that the cost of this does not fall on our local cities.”

Adams received an invitation from Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley Executive Director Sister Norma Pimentel to visit the border again, including a stop in Mexico. His office issued a statement on Saturday, however, explaining that the trip had been canceled.

“As Lent draws to a close, our team was excited to stand with faith and humanitarian leaders who have dedicated their lives to serving the most needy among us, and we were eager to discuss our work in New York City and explore new ways to collaborate with leaders in cities across the country,” explained a spokesperson for the mayor. “But due to safety concerns at one of the cities we were going to visit in Mexico flagged by the U.S. Department of State, we have decided to pause this visit at this time.”

About four months ago, Adams called off a trip to the nation’s capital to discuss the migrant issue with Biden administration officials upon receiving confirmation that the FBI had conducted a raid on the home of a top fundraiser during his 2021 campaign.