New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks as MSG Entertainment and Billy Joel make a special franchise announcement at Chase Square at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 1, 2023. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is opening a shelter on Randall’s Island to house up to 2,000 illegal immigrants seeking asylum.
The new Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center will provide different services to the asylum seekers, including helping them reach their desired destinations outside of New York City, according to an Aug. 7 statement from the mayor’s office.
“As the number of asylum seekers in our care continues to grow by hundreds every day, stretching our system to its breaking point and beyond, it has become more and more of a Herculean effort to find enough beds every night,” Mr. Adams said.
The mayor said the state would reimburse the city for costs for the center, including construction, maintenance, and staffing.
“We’re grateful to Governor [Kathy] Hochul and New York state for their partnership in opening this new humanitarian relief center and covering the costs, and we need more of the same from all levels of government,” Mr. Adams added. “We will continue to work with the governor and elected officials across the state to address this crisis as New York City continues to do more than any other level of government.”
More than 93,000 illegal aliens have come to New York City since the spring of 2022, with about 57,200 currently remaining in its care. To address the migrant crisis, the city has opened over 190 emergency shelters, including 13 other large-scale humanitarian relief centers, according to the mayor’s office.
The latest announcement came just days after Mr. Adams warned New Yorkers that the migrant crisis would worsen.
“We need help,” the mayor told reporters on July 31. “And it’s not going to get any better. From this moment on, it’s downhill. There is no more room.
“Eventually, this was going to come to a neighborhood near you,” the mayor continued. “We have to localize this madness. We have to figure out a way of how we don’t have what’s in other municipalities where you have tent cities all over the city.”
Hundreds of illegal immigrants line up outside of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York City on June 6, 2023. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Last month, city officials announced a plan to house up to 1,000 illegal immigrants in the parking lot at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens.
Last week, city officials began providing shelter for illegal immigrants at two recreation centers at two Brooklyn parks.
A similar center was built on Randall’s Island last fall but was demobilized due to the slowdown in the number of illegal aliens seeking asylum.
“The opening of the latest humanitarian relief center on Randall’s Island demonstrates that the city will continue to meet its obligations, but it also shows that space continues to tighten,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom in a statement on Aug. 7. “As we have reiterated in recent weeks, all options for shelter space remain on the table.”
In April, Mr. Adams said the city was expected to spend $1.4 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.9 billion in the next to deal with the migrant crisis.
“New York City, the epicenter of the free world, is on the frontlines of a humanitarian crisis,” said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol in a statement on Aug. 7.
“Our Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center on Randall’s Island, activated in partnership with New York state and a safe haven for our newest arrivals seeking refuge, affirms our commitment to this work,” the commissioner added.
“We must also be honest that we have passed our breaking point, and it’s beyond time for others to step up: This is clearly a national issue that calls for national leadership and a cohesive, robust national response.”
Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based journalist. He covers U.S., China, and Taiwan news. He holds a master's degree in materials science from Tsinghua University in Taiwan.
