During an interview on ‘Your World’, Rep. Mike Lawler, a representative from New York and member of the Republican party, spoke about the policies in his state and his recent meeting with President-elect Donald Trump.
After Mayor Eric Adams of New York announced his intention to establish a large migrant shelter with 2,000 beds in the South Bronx, Congressman Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, strongly criticized the decision. He accused Adams of regarding the borough as a place to indiscriminately accommodate immigrants.
The mayor’s office countered Torres’ accusation by highlighting their plans to close 46 migrant shelters across the city and decrease the total number of shelter beds by 10,000 before June. They emphasized that despite opening a new shelter, significant reductions were being made. As an example, they mentioned the closure of the Hall Street shelter in Brooklyn, which accommodated 3,500 migrants and was one of the largest shelters.
Last week, the office made an announcement about the new shelter, along with its assertion that the migrant crisis in New York City is currently decreasing.
New York is preparing to shut down its tent shelter on Randalls Island, along with several other shelters, in the coming months. As a sanctuary city for migrants, New York has a “right to shelter” law that mandates providing accommodation to individuals without any other housing options. However, there has been a shift in Adams’ stance towards immigrants in the city, as he recently announced the closure of multiple migrant shelters. In a statement last week, Adams emphasized that these closures are aimed at finding cost-saving alternatives and moving past the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
According to the mayor’s office, the city’s successful asylum seeker management strategies and federal border policy changes have led to a continuous decrease in the number of people under the city’s care for 27 consecutive weeks. As a result, the city has also managed to reduce costs by almost $2.8 billion over a span of three fiscal years.
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NYC Mayor Eric Adams recently had a sit-down interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum.
According to the New York Post, the city will need to spend between $250,000 and $340,000 to retrofit and prepare a 275,000-square-foot former office building in the Bronx. This is necessary to accommodate the anticipated influx of thousands of men who will be residing in the new migrant shelter.
The shelter underwent renovations in 2017 and is situated at 825 E. 141st St., in close proximity to an infamous area of the Bronx known as “the Hub.” This neighborhood is notorious for its prevalent drug use and related activities, such as the consumption of heroin and fentanyl. The building itself is owned by SoBro Local Development Corp., a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the overall quality of life in the South Bronx. They achieve this by bolstering local businesses and implementing innovative programs that focus on economic growth, housing, education, and career development for both young individuals and adults.
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Many Bronx residents did not react positively to Adams’ announcement. Migrant shelters in the city have gained a reputation for being hubs of violence, crime, and gang activity, with groups like the international criminal organization Tren de Aragua involved. The New York Post shared the thoughts of Serene Bilal, a 21-year-old Bronx resident, who expressed her disagreement by saying, “Wrong move!… You should be focusing on the people who are already here. We have our own problems to deal with. Why target the Bronx?”
Bilal expressed concerns about the potential dangers of the situation, emphasizing that the identity of these individuals remains unknown. The scale of the issue is not to be underestimated, with thousands of people involved.
According to a report by the police, illegal immigrants account for 75% of arrests in Midtown Manhattan.
Congressman Ritchie Torres addressed the media at a press conference held in the Bronx on January 17, 2022. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
According to reports, Torres, who is allegedly contemplating a bid for the position of New York governor, strongly criticized the choice to establish the new shelter in the Bronx.
According to Torres, the City is not effectively addressing the issue of open-air drug markets in the Hub. Instead, they are treating the South Bronx as a place to continuously establish shelters.
“The Bronx is often subject to different treatment compared to other parts of the city,” he explained. “We often feel like we are being treated as the second-class borough of New York City.”
In response to Torres’ criticisms, Liz Garcia, a spokesperson for Adams, highlighted the significant reduction in the overall number of shelters across the city and the resulting decrease in the tax burden on citizens.
“I understand that each elected official has their own constituents to address, but our approach is more comprehensive,” shared Garcia. “We’re not just focusing on the Bronx; we’re looking at the broader impact. We’re closing down 46 migrant sites and reducing the number of available beds by 10,000 citywide. Moreover, we’re specifically targeting shelters in areas that are already overcrowded.”
She pointed out that the city’s migrant shelter system was never intended to be a long-term solution and mentioned that the new Bronx shelter is also temporary.
Migrants were captured on camera sleeping outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on July 31, 2023. The image, taken by Luiz C. Ribeiro for the New York Daily News, portrays the harsh reality faced by these individuals seeking a better life.
When asked about the closure timeline for the Bronx shelter, Garcia responded that they do not have a specific timeframe for its closure. She explained that since it is a lease, it will not be a permanent arrangement.
According to her, the city’s decision will be based on the upcoming migrant census.
“We have been witnessing a decrease in our migrant census numbers for more than six months now,” she explained. “If this trend continues, there will no longer be a need for it. Therefore, we anticipate its closure in the near future. However, we still require facilities to accommodate individuals while we assist them in their transition to the next phase.”
