The New York city will close this center which can accommodate up to 2,000 people. In total, 25 shelters in the American megalopolis have been closed, or are in the process of being closed.
A few weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20, New York Democratic Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday that one of the city's largest migrant shelters would close “in the next two months”. The Floyd Bennett Field Humanitarian Emergency Response Center, located on a former airfield in the Brooklyn neighborhood, can accommodate up to 2,000 people. It's one of 25 shelters the city has closed or is in the process of closing.
“Thanks to our smart management strategies, we have turned a corner, and this new round of shelter closures we are announcing today is further proof that we are managing this crisis better than any other city in the country.”declared Mayor Adams in the press release relayed by ABC News which specifies that “the number of asylum seekers in city shelters has declined for 22 consecutive weeks and is now at its lowest level in more than 17 months”. According to the councilor, the “intensive case management” migrants “helped more than 170,000 migrants take the next steps in their journey”.
“We are closely monitoring these closures”
This closure was rather soon welcomed by certain immigrant rights defenders who considered the location worrying, beyond being located in a flood zone: being located on federal land leased by the city, the site could be targeted by the future administration of Donald Trump, part of the president-elect's campaign promise to deport undocumented immigrants.
-“While we welcome this closure, which we have long called for because this site has never been a suitable place for families with children and there were concerns about the safety of families, we are aware of the the disruption it causes for families who above all aspire to stability, said the Coalition for the Homeless and the Legal Aid Society, in a joint statement.
«Finally, in anticipation of the President-elect's plans for mass deportations nationwide, we are closely monitoring these closures and transfers to ensure new arrivals have access to shelter and protection from any federal action. 'immigration law enforcement', continues the press release. As he is due to meet the next border minister, Tom Homan, in the coming days, Eric Adams said his city “handles this crisis better than any other city”.
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