New York City remains under strong pressure to address an immigration crisis that erupted last summer. Bottom line: There is no more room in the shelter system and attempts to set up makeshift sites continue to fail. And in those that already exist, complaints are increasing due to overcrowding, access to food and situations of violence.
In the midst of this turbulence, the Mayor’s Office decided to abandon its plan to install tents for a humanitarian aid in Orchard Beach in the Bronx, to receive thousands of immigrants who continue to cross the border and are sent to the Big Apple by bus from Texas. Although the new location also generates resentments.
Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday that the reception center will now be installed on Randall’s Island, under the RKF-Triborough bridge. This decision was based on the fact that after last weekend’s storm, the planned location in the Bronx experienced flooding.
“This new location is closer to public transportation and will provide a temporary respite for 414 asylum seekers. We continue to explore additional sites as we manage this humanitarian crisis”, explained the Mayor in a statement.
However, in the opinion of elected leaders and community organizations, this site does not fully meet its objective either.
In this sense, Murad Awawdeh, director of the New York Immigration Coalition described this plan as “very poorly conceived”, since it is taking these people to relief camps in remote areas that are equally prone to flooding.
“Despite the availability of underutilized buildings, which are more accessible to public transportation, the City remains stubbornly committed to with the development of relief camps in the five boroughs”, stressed the activist.
Community organizations have repeatedly asked the Mayor to be included in the planning of everything concerning these immigrants, to guarantee that the needs of these vulnerable communities are integrated with the Mayor’s proposals.
“See what happens. A contractor built a structure in the Bronx that has already been flooded. We fear that the Randalls Island camp will be no different,” Awawdeh opined.
The central argument for the rejection of the new proposal is that only the bus line M33 goes all the way to the island and only drivers can get there by crossing the RFK-Triborough toll bridge.
The other problem is that Randall’s Island is already home to several shelters for the homeless and safety net facilities.
State Senator Julia Salazar also noted that the new site is also vulnerable to flooding. “This also sounds like a disaster. We must abandon the idea of the refugee camp and place people in real homes”, he said.
“Look for offices and hotels”
For this very reason, elected leaders like State Senator Jessica Ramos of Queens criticized the announced plan for not being better than the Orchard Beach location.
“On Randall’s Island, they will be completely isolated. And far from the communities that can help them. This is still unacceptable. There are many vacant commercial office spaces. They can be reused for asylum seekers and our homeless families,” Ramos wrote on his twitter account.
For his part this Tuesday, the Ombudsman, Jumanne Williams, also stood on the sidewalk of the frontal rejection of the measures of the Municipal Administration to install in tents to new arrivals.
“These people deserve much more than a tent in a transit desert as winter approaches,” Williams stressed.
This official suggests that policies similar to the management of the pandemic be used, where more spaces were opened in hotels or large interior areas. But he’s also pushing for expedited CityFHEPS vouchers to move homeless New Yorkers out of shelters into permanent housing, opening up spaces for asylum seekers.
The shelter system has already exceeded by more than one 26% of its capacity, due to income since last May, of at least 9,500 South American immigrants, who have been transported by bus from Texas, after having crossed the southern border. The 90% of them are Venezuelans.
With 23 recently installed emergency shelters, a new wave waiting to come and the pressure On behalf of immigrant advocates, who demand more efficiency in reception processes, the City and the State continue to seek resources and ways to address this crisis.
Last week the Orchard Beach community meeting in the Salsa County, fiercely opposed the provisional shelter being installed in this locality, for fear that it would “increase crime” in those neighborhoods, as they exposed to local media.
City Spokespersons told El Diario that the availability of office spaces and hotels is not the same as during the darkest days of the pandemic.
“N ew York is returning to its tourism and corporate operations. Is not the same. We continue to look for safe spaces in the five boroughs, which will also allow us to face the winter season in an adequate manner”, highlighted the source.
On a cruise?
In addition to opening Humanitarian Emergency Response and Assistance Centers, the city is considering chartering the Norwegian cruise ship for six months to house and process asylum seekers before transferring them to city shelters.
The ship would probably be docked at the Staten Island homeport, the former naval station on the northeast coast of the island.
This deal has not been confirmed. Although only by being shown, it has already received a tidal wave of questioning from the elected leaders of that county.
For example, the leader of the Republican minority of the Municipal Council, Joseph Borelli expressed his concern and rejection that some camp or shelter for immigrants be set up on Staten Island.
“All of this will be a failure. I don’t believe in sanctuary cities. I think it’s going to be a disaster. The cruise ship is so absurd that it will be the most visible symbol of President Joe Biden’s border fiasco and the nation’s sanctuary city woes,” he said.
Even for organizations that have closely followed this crisis, the cruise is not a solution. The Legal Aid Society and the NYC Homeless Coalition issued a joint statement putting on the table the challenges that this type of “reception centers” would have.
“Cruise ships they are neither designed nor equipped to provide adequate shelter and services to homeless people, particularly those with disabilities. Additionally, ventilation within these spaces is inadequate to protect people from airborne infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and tuberculosis”, the two groups agreed in their statement.
Civil organizations continue to demand more help for immigrants sent from Texas to NYC. (Photo Angel Colmenares. EFE)
“There is not enough food”
The Venezuelan immigrant, Sergio Parada de 28 years old, arrived in New York last July and echoed some complaints that were broadcast on television networks. local television, where he was referring to limited doses of formula for babies who are housed in shelters.
“Obviously there is much more pressure now, because there are many more people. I am in a men’s shelter and they tell us that they are going to move us. Everything is very rationed. But I hear from families with children who have a hard time, because the food rations are very small”, said the South American.
In a statement, the Department of Social Services (DSS) explained that they are working the 24 hours to serve thousands of applicants for asylum newcomers.
“We ensure that all shelters, serving families with children, receive adequate and appropriate food supplies for all infants on site,” the DSS said in its statement.
However, there are growing signs of the “infernal” conditions of the reception centers and shelters distributed throughout the Big Apple.
“It you must be patient. Many of us did not choose to come to this city, but have still been given help upon arrival. We cannot think that in this situation, we are going to live in luxury. But that the ‘shelters’ are horrible, they are horrible”, remarked the Venezuelan Roberta González, from 25 years old, who resides in a family shelter in Queens.
The fact that these immigrants arrive en masse in New York in buses, sent by the government of Texas, is a fact confirmed by the Texan president himself, Greg Abbot, who admitted that he is sending groups of undocumented immigrants to New York and Washington DC, considered ‘sanctuary cities’, responding to what he describes as as an “open border policy of the administration of President Joe Biden that is overwhelming the communities of his state.”
Shelters at the top:
- 37,321 were in the shelter system on May 1, 2022 when “this migratory crisis awoke”
- 9,512 they find each other currently in the shelter systems, which include 23 “emergency” hotels installed in recent weeks.506971631
- 42,321 people were housed in the system of stable and temporary shelters in the Big Apple, until the past 28 of September.