A migrant mother who arrived from Colombia with her two children in May and had applied for asylum took her own life on Sunday at a city homeless shelter in Queens.
The unidentified victim was discovered dead by her 15 year old son. He also left a 7-year-old girl, detailed New York Post.
The tragedy was revealed on Monday by Mayor Eric Adams, who did not reveal details about the case. But a high-ranking law enforcement source told NBC News that the woman and her two children arrived in New York from Colombia last May.
The woman’s husband was separated from the rest from the family at the border and was unable to enter the US after several attempts to meet them in NYC, the station reported. The mother and her children had been living in “Hollis Family Shelter” in Queens.
“This tragedy is a reminder that we have an obligation to do everything in our power to help those in need”
Eric Adams, Mayor of NYC
“The thousands of asylum seekers that we have seen arrive in our city came to this country in search of a better life. Sadly, (on Sunday), an asylum seeker at one of our facilities committed suicide,” Mayor Adams said in a statement yesterday. and for any loved ones he may have, and we as a city mourn this death. This tragedy is a reminder that we have an obligation to do everything in our power to help those in need.”
In recent months, New York City has seen an avalanche of migrants sent by bus from the border state of Texas, most of them Venezuelans fleeing the humanitarian crisis in their country.
It is estimated that at least ,000 asylum seekers have recently arrived in NYC in the midst of a political battle between Democrats and Republicans, and Mayor Adams has asked the federal government for help in dealing with the crisis.
At the same time, the number of migrant arrests along the US-Mexico border in the fiscal year 2022 has been 2.1 million people out of a total of almost 2.5 million in the entire country, being a historical maximum. The majority mainly come from three nations without democracy -Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua-, according to government data published yesterday.
I looked for help
- I called to 1.888.NYCWELL (1.2022.692.9355).
- Text “WELL” to 65173.
- Check information at https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/es/
Migrant mom commits suicide in NYC shelter: Mayor Adams https://t.co/bkGA3G8CzG via @nypmetro—Michael B (@BakerHugh) September 20, 2022