‘It’s a Washington issue’: Hundreds of New Yorkers protest planned migrant tent shelter

Hundreds of New Yorkers protested a plan to house migrants in the parking lot of a local psychiatric center, according to NBC 4 New York.

The city already began construction on the tent facility next to the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center for roughly 1,000 migrants, NBC 4 New York reported. The city is caring for more than 57,000 migrants, Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office said Monday.

“This whole thing is only gonna snowball because the schools are going to open in about 2 weeks, and we’re totally unprepared to handle that,” one of the protest organizers told FOX 5 New York.

“If you look behind us there’s a park. There’s a YMCA there. We have a charter school behind a preschool on the side,” one mom protesting said, according to FOX 5 New York.

The city asserts that it’s in need of housing for the overwhelming numbers of migrants arriving in the America’s largest city.

“With nearly 100,000 asylum seekers that have come through our intake system since spring 2022 and hundreds more daily, New York City has been left largely alone to deal with a national crisis that demands difficult and swift decision-making. We are constantly searching for new places to give asylum seekers a place to rest their heads, and the state recently located a site for a new humanitarian relief center in the parking lot adjacent to Creedmoor Psychiatric Center,” the city said in a statement to FOX 5 New York.

Other residents were concerned about the safety and security of their neighborhoods.

“It’s a Washington issue. We can’t deal with this in all the boroughs,” Curtis Sliwa, former NYC candidate for mayor, said, according to FOX 5 New York.

A small counterprotest formed with some locals advocating for the migrants, according to FOX 5 New York.

“It’s really sad to see us blaming vulnerable people who have risked their lives for a better future for their situation as opposed to holding accountable people in power,” a counterprotestor chanted, according to FOX 5 New York.

Adams also announced Monday a plan to house an additional 2,000 migrants at Randall’s Island.

“We understand community concerns and want to assure them we and the state are working to ensure that the site is well-managed and that any potential disruptions are minimized. While New York City is leading the nation in welcoming asylum seekers, make no mistake, we cannot continue to do this alone. This crisis demands a broader national solution,” the city told FOX 5 New York.

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