New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the closure of 25 more migrant shelters, a move that follows calls from immigration advocates concerned about potential immigration raids targeting these facilities following Donald Trump's incoming inauguration. However, Adams attributed the shelter closures not to protecting the immigrant community, but rather to the city's efforts to reduce the number of asylum seekers.
Reasoning Behind the Closures
In a press release, Adams explained that measures such as shelter stay limits and advocacy for stricter border controls had "driven down the number of people in the city's care," leading to the decision to close 15 shelters in New York City and 10 more outside the five boroughs.
"Migrants don't come here to live in our shelter system — they come here to pursue the American Dream," Adams said. "We're going to continue looking for more sites to consolidate and close, and more opportunities to save taxpayer money, as we continue to successfully manage this response."
Migrant shelters closing in NYC:
- El Rancho Hotel, Bronx
- Floyd Bennett Field Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Brooklyn
- Hotel RL, Brooklyn
- Imperial Hotel, Brooklyn
- Sleep Inn, Brooklyn
- 97th Street Dorms, Manhattan
- Americana Inn, Manhattan
- Hotel Merit, Manhattan
- Randall's Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Manhattan
- Upper West Side Dorms – Amsterdam Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Manhattan
- Upper West Side Dorms – Stratford Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, Manhattan
- The Essence at JFK, Queens
- JFK Respite Center, Queens
- Quality Inn JFK, Queens
- Voyage Hotel, Queens
Migrant shelters closing outside of NYC:
- Holiday Inn Express, Albany
- The Ramada Plaza, Albany
- SureStay Plus Best Western, Albany
- Red Roof Inn Plus, Amherst
- Ardsley Acres Hotel Court, Ardsley
- Best Western Inn, Buffalo
- Quality Inn, Buffalo
- The Crossroads Hotel, Newburgh
- Red Roof Inn Plus, Poughkeepsie
- Central Motel Courtyard, White Plains
The closures include Floyd Bennett Field, a highly publicized site and the only migrant shelter in the city built on federal land. According to Molly Schaeffer, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations, the shelter has provided assistance to more than 225,000 asylum seekers.
Immigration in NYC
According to The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, around 412,000 undocumented immigrants reside in NYC as of 2022. Around 60,000 of them are wanted for deportation and more than 1,000 are suspected of being gang members. There are approximately 200 migrant shelters across NYC, one of the biggest sanctuary cities and Democratic strongholds in the nation.
Trump has promised to execute the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history starting day one of his presidency. His incoming border czar, Thomas Homan, has indicated that double the amount of agents and resources would be sent to sanctuary cities, including NYC.
While the initial plan is to focus on criminals, both Trump and Homan have stated they will go after everyone who is in the country illegally, including people without a criminal history.
Adams' Changing Stance
As this unfolds, political observers have noted a shift in Adams' approach to the incoming administration. In a recent press conference, Adams revealed he would be open to cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport criminals, adding he was not afraid of being "cancelled" for protecting the city.
"I would love to sit down with the border czar and hear his thoughts on how we're going to address those who are harming our citizens," Adams said, emphasizing his concern about undocumented criminals. "Those who are here committing crimes, shooting up officers, raping innocent people, have been a harm to our country–Those are the people I'm talking about."
In an interview with NewsNation, Homan confirmed he was in contact with Adams and planning to meet with him. "I'm looking for partnerships. I'm not looking for enemies," Homan said.
This seemingly cooperative relationship between Adams and Trump's border czar marks a departure from the stance of many top Democratic leaders nationwide, who have pledged to withhold cooperation with ICE deportation operations within their jurisdictions.
Advocates' Perspective
While the recent migrant closures were not aimed at protecting immigrants from deportation, local advocates remain hopeful that the city will continue to implement measures to safeguard undocumented migrants.
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