NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams announced plans Saturday for a fifth relief center to handle the city’s continuing influx of asylum seekers — the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on the borough waterfront.
The new humanitarian operation will take in 1,000 single men relocated from another facility along with new arrivals as the number of asylum seekers in the city has climbed to more than 41,000 since last spring.
The current number under city care is at nearly 28,000 in the the city’s four Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers, the mayor said, adding the new Brooklyn operation will open soon.
“Our city is at its breaking point,” the mayor said in announcing the move. “We continue to surpass our moral and legal obligations and meet the needs of people arriving in New York.
“But as the number of asylum seekers continues to grow, we are in serious need of support from both our state and federal governments.”
Men currently staying at the Watson Hotel on West 57th Street in Manhattan will be relocated to the new facility, touted on the terminal website as a one-time honoree as “Cruise Terminal of the Year.”
The terminal includes 200,000 square feet of flexible space, according to its website, and officials said the Watson location will now shift to assisting newly arrived families with children.
The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless denounced the plan, describing the new operation as located in a high-risk flood zone.
“Hotels have always been the better short-term option, in contrast to erecting tents in inaccessible parts of New York City that are prone to flooding,” read their joint statement. “Continuing to move asylum seekers around the boroughs like chess pieces is callous.”
Adams said earlier in the week that the city would continue addressing the steady number of arrivals, adding that “nothing is left off the table” when it comes to the issue — even suggesting the use of cruise ships for temporary shelter.
But he added the long-term answer relied on congressional action to create a comprehensive program.
According to Adams, the city intends to provide on-site medical, food and laundry services, along with help for those on their way to another destination. The Brooklyn relief center will operate until the start of cruise season this spring.
“New York City has been a beacon of hope for generations of immigrants and is rising again to meet the moment,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, senior vice president, Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “I am proud to support the unprecedented Adams administration response.”
Last week, the mayor said his “guesstimate” on the projected cost of the city’s efforts ran to $2 billion, adding there was “no more room” for the arriving migrants and the city was nearing its breaking point. He has also called for a national czar to help with the crisis as busloads of asylum seekers continue to arrive in the city.
“As the numbers and demographics shift, so does our approach,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. “What remains is our focus on addressing their needs, providing them with critical services, and ensuring a foundation is there for them to begin building their new lives.”
———
