New York City migrant center to close after migrant influx slows

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced last week the tent complex that opened last month as a migrant center will close this week. The city cited a slowing down of migrants arriving in the city from southern border states as a reason for closing the migrant center. Any remaining migrants will be offered space at a new relief center opening in a midtown Manhattan hotel.

“As the demands of this crisis evolve, we will continue to welcome asylum seekers with New York City’s compassion and effectiveness to support them as they complete their journey,” Dr. Ted Long, senior vice president of Ambulatory Care and Population Health and NYC Health + Hospitals, said in a statement last week. “This fourth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at the Watson Hotel will help achieve that mission, connecting adult men to meals, medical care, mental health support, language access, technology, and resettlement.”

When the temporary humanitarian relief facility at Randall’s Island opened last month, it included cots for up to 500 people and could have held double that number. However, the city didn’t use anywhere close to that capacity. The mayor’s office did not specify how many migrants had used the facility.

“The city is currently caring for over 17,500 asylum seekers, a number that continues to grow steadily,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement last week. “We will continue to pivot and shift as necessary to deal with this humanitarian crisis, but it’s clear that we still need financial assistance from our state and federal partners.”

Even before it opened, immigrant advocates had been concerned about the New York City migrant center over a range of issues including its location and whether it was appropriate to house people in tents instead of built spaces like hotels. News of its shutdown was met with approval.

“The city is doing the right thing by moving people to a setting where they can have their own space and get settled so they can move on with their lives,” Kathryn Kliff, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, said. “Also, we are glad that this new location will be much more accessible to public transit so clients can access services and easily travel to and from the site.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.