New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams is reportedly considering unconventional housing solutions to shelter illegal aliens and border crossers being bused to the Big Apple.
NY Daily News reported that Adams is mulling the utilization of shipping containers, tents and pre-fab homes on city streets. He is also considering the placement of these improvised housing solutions in existing parking lots of stadiums, such as Citi Field and Aqueduct Racetrack.
The mayor has also considered repurposing out-of-use facilities such as the defunct Pilgrim and Kings Park psychiatric centers on Long Island, the Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, and medical facilities in Buffalo and Fort Dix in neighboring New Jersey.
Prisons may also be repurposed under Adams' plan. One such facility being eyed to house illegals is the former Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan, which made headlines after convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found dead there in August 2019. Furthermore, it has come to light that Adams is already housing migrants in an old jail in Harlem.
NYC Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom said City Hall is considering all options for addressing the situation. She mentioned that from July 30 onward, approximately 107,900 individuals have been under New York's care, including around 56,600 asylum seekers. Despite the Big Apple's limited space, NYC's government is trying to accommodate the influx of illegal border crossers into the self-proclaimed "sanctuary city."
Adams' proposal draws flak
The mayor's proposal has ignited a firestorm of criticism from various quarters.
Former NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, now the president and CEO of the nonprofit Women IN Need, blasted the idea as "ridiculous." She expressed concerns about the feasibility of placing people on city streets, especially considering the existing challenges with public spaces. Incumbent NYC Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala also rejected the proposal outright, stating that she would not support housing migrants in shipping containers on the streets of the city.
Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the NY Immigration Coalition, criticized Adams and his strategies. According to him, Adams' policies to address the influx of illegals were proven ineffective and unsuccessful from the start. Awawdeh also noted that the mayor's tone has shifted and is now less welcoming, compared to the initial days of the crisis.
Aside from the limited space available in the city, the financial burden of illegal immigration is another point of concern.
Each day, NYC taxpayers spend nearly $8 million to accommodate these illegals. If the Big Apple fails to address the illegal immigrant crisis, New Yorkers could be shelling out $12 billion under Adams.
To dissuade any illegals from settling in crowded NYC, the city distributed flyers that urge border crossers to "consider another city" other than the Big Apple. The flyers also emphasized a new policy that limits shelter stays for adult illegals to 60 days. "Please consider another city as you make your decision about where to settle in the U.S.," the flyer stated in English and Spanish.
In an official statement, Adams' office emphasized that the flyers are intended to counteract misinformation and guide migrants toward better-informed decisions. The flyers would focus on the substantial cost of living in the city and highlight expenses such as housing, food and other necessities.
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