Migrants Stretch Resources in Cities Near and Far From Southern Border

An influx of migrants arriving in several American cities is straining budgets and shelter resources, inflaming political tensions and sparking fights over who should pay to accommodate them.

A major dilemma is finding beds for the new arrivals, many of whom were released by federal authorities after entering the U.S. illegally to claim asylum. In New York City, “asylum seekers are now approaching half the folks in the shelter system, and therefore half the cost of the shelter system,” said Comptroller Brad Lander, a Democrat.

The situation represents the next wave of the migrant...