This summary about the NYC response to newly arrived migrants was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in New York City in recent months, creating a crisis that Mayor Eric Adams has struggled to respond to, explains a Sunday report from the New York Times.
Adams has called for federal assistance as international migrants are bused into the city by southern border states, predicting that 100,000 migrants could ultimately arrive and cost New York City some $1 billion.
A need for emergency shelters: Adams has opened more than 45 emergency shelters in hotels, but it hasn’t been enough. The influx of new migrants has pushed the NYC shelter system to its limits, notching a record high population of nearly 64,000 last week.
An initial misstep placed an emergency tent shelter at Orchard Beach in the Bronx – a move abandoned amid flooding concerns and criticism that the remote site was far from mass transit. It was moved to Randall’s Island, costing the city at least $325,000. A spartan humanitarian relief center there with cots for up to 500 people harbored its first arrivals last week.
The city is currently negotiating with cruise ship operators on plans to potentially house up to 2,700 migrants on cruise ships. Many are appalled by the option.
“We have vacant hotels. We’ve got unionized labor hotels that should be prioritized in this crisis moment. The idea of putting people on boats is just really dehumanizing,” said Shahana Hanif, the city councilwoman who chairs the Immigration Committee.
Read more on the latest developments here.
STORIES WE ARE FOLLOWING
New York
NYC opens emergency center for influx of bused migrants: The complex of tents is intended to be a temporary waystation for the many single, adult men who have been arriving several times a week from Texas. –Associated Press
How New Yorkers are stepping in to help asylum seekers: Volunteers are collecting donations, delivering pizzas and opening up their homes to help Venezuelans arriving by bus from Texas. –New York Times
Diwali is set to become a public school holiday in New York City: Starting next year, the holiday observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists will be added to the school calendar. –Axios
Around the U.S.
Florida needs workers to rebuild after Hurricane Ian, and undocumented migrants are stepping in: Hundreds have arrived to help rebuild the state even though Gov. Ron DeSantis has warned that those without papers are not wanted. –Washington Post
A look into the lives of Venezuelan migrants stranded by abrupt Biden policy changes: Migrants assess how to proceed now that the U.S. has declared that they will be deported to Mexico rather than be able to rejoin their families in the U.S. while awaiting asylum. –The Guardian
In Canada, the word “newcomer” is taking the place of terms like “immigrant” and “refugee”: Governments, companies and support groups are using a term they see as more inclusive and less tied to stigma. –Voice of America
Immigration authorities release some Cuban migrants detained in South Florida: Migrants held in ICE detention centers say what they experienced was “truly torture.” – Miami Herald
Philadelphia-based immigration activists decry the lack of immigration progress under Biden: As midterms approach, advocates describe their disappointment with Democratic campaign promises to improve pathways to citizenship and other immigrant services. –The Philadelphia Inquirer
陈学理胜选凸显华人社区“右转”
Washington D.C.
Ethiopians living in the U.S. may now apply for temporary protected status, allowing them to stay and legally work for 18 months: The Biden administration announced the measure Friday in response to the escalation in the country’s civil war. –Department of Homeland Security
Annual illegal border crossings to U.S. from Mexico hit record high: US Customs said a surge in migration from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua in September brought the number of illegal crossings to the highest level ever recorded in a fiscal year. –Associated Press
Illegal border crossings by Venezuelans plunge in the face of new policies: The number of Venezuelans entering the US illegally dropped from about 1,200 a day to 150 in the first days after the Biden administration rolled out new policies. –New York Times
With midterms looming, immigration a top issue among Latino voters: Views on immigration vary wildly among Latino voters, but polls suggest the GOP has made significant gains among those voters. –CNN
