Jim.henderson, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
New York City’s well-documented migrant crisis has catapulted to stratospheric heights in recent weeks. With a hefty influx of asylum seekers arriving on a daily basis, government agents have been struggling to find suitable housing. The headline-making kerfuffle led Mayor Eric Adams to ask courts to eliminate the “Right to Shelter” policy which has been in place since 1981, and request the White House fast-track work authorization for those immigrating into the U.S.
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With the current shelter system (and numerous hotels) completely maxed out, temporary dwellings in respite centers are taking shape throughout the Big Apple — and the latest is just steps from Central Park in a previously occupied prison.
Lincoln Correctional Facility, located at 31-33 West 110th Street, was shuttered in 2019 by former Governor Andrew Cuomo in response to the local prison population trending downward. At the time, the 10,000-square-foot structure with unobstructed views of the world’s most famous park was rumored to be the future site of a boutique luxury condo building, which Upper West Side council member Gale Brewer strongly opposed.
Back in March, Crain’s reported Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration planned to turn the space — which launched as a branch of the Young Women’s Hebrew Association in 1914 — into affordable housing. This is part of Hochul’s initiative to build 800,000 new homes in New York within the next ten years, which has garnered significant controversy from both sides of the political spectrum.
The ability to repurpose Lincoln Correctional Facility has come at a particularly crucial point, with a City Hall representative stating, “We’ve had over 70,000 asylum seekers come through the city’s intake centers since last spring, and yet hundreds of asylum seekers continue to arrive in New York City every day. We’re grateful to the state for providing this site and partnering with the city to open this space as a temporary site for asylum seekers as New York City continues to face this humanitarian crisis.”
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The New York Post reveals the remnants of the facility are as bare-bones as it gets and claims there are no “cells” remaining. What’s next for New York’s asylum seekers remains up in the air, as many have been bussed to other areas of the state to combat the space shortage. Meanwhile, Adams states the crisis is set to cost NYC $4.3 billion — if not more — by next spring.
But they are. It maxed out! There are reports of over 1000 employ beds available as well as some units that the Mayoe is keeping vacant. Is this another way for him to hand out no bid contracts under the cover of crisis.
Thisbisba good idea. There is also a former correctional facility across from Chelsea Piers on 19th Street
Wow Central Park views for migrants! I work 60+ hour weeks and can’t afford that. This is getting a bit insulting to those of us that pay so much city tax.
Correction: Illegal aliens
Incorrect: Migrants. Or asylum seekers.
No Susan, Peter had it right you Orwellian thought police.
Correction: illegal immigrants. If everyone is by default an asylum seeker then the border is meaningless. Do you have a border in your home? Can I come sleep on your couch? Dig through your fridge and cupboards? No? Why not? I am a couch and food seeker and my rulers don’t give it to me so I want to come to your house and take what’s yours. Is it different on a macro scale for some reason? How many asylum seekers will you be housing? I’m taking at least 5. Do your part Susan! How many will you take?
Everyone crossing the borders of the USA is not by default an asylum seeker.
Correct. The vast majority “asylum seekers” are in fact illegal aliens trying to take advantage of the system.
So you got nothing, and haven’t even looked at say Haiti or the US caused situation in Venezuela. Not a question.
Jay what are you doing in the internet aren’t you supposed to be out shouting at traffic?
Jay’s MD:
Well, clearly I’m being “heard” here.
And you’ve not addressed my points.
Have you looked for an apartment north of Central Park North, or on it, and east of CPW?
Is it that you covet a bed in the previously Lincoln Correctional Facility which “The New York Post reveals the remnants of the facility are as bare-bones as it gets”, or just bitter that someone gets a bed to sleep in?
I hope the current administration will find empty buildings like this in every borough to house these families and will not follow-through on the Mayor’s threat, also echoed by Gov. Hochul to set-up “Hooverville”-like encampments in our great city parks, which is bound to deal a great blow NYC’s tourism, which is just beginning to reach it’s pre-pandemic heights.
If all of these people who come are by default “asylum seekers” and there is no such thing as an “illegal immigrant” then what is the purpose of a border? If everyone can just claim a status and poof it’s legal and acceptable then it’s okay for everyone to come so why have a border at all? What about the hardworking people who come to this country legally and contribute intellectual capital and horsepower to our economy? Should we leave them in the lurch so that we can cater to people who skipped the line?
My great grandfather came to this country and was told if he wanted to stay, he could turn back to Europe and fight in WWI for the US. Can’t we send these newcomers over to Ukraine or whatever middle eastern country we are destroying at the moment to fight one of our current wars for us? That should stop the flow of migrants pretty quickly.
The mainstream media should stop trying to downplay the obvious illegality of this situation by constantly referring to these people incorrectly as either “migrants,” “immigrants” or “asylum seekers.” (They also use these terms interchangeably, although each means something different; but never once uses the correct term “illegal aliens.”) By having blatantly, brazenly and intentionally broken our immigration laws, these people are “illegal aliens.” In Arizona v United States, 132 S. Ct. 2492, 2495 (2012), the Supreme Court of the United States made it clear that the term “illegal alien” refers to a foreign person who is living in America without having official permission to live here, and that “ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] . . . is responsible for identifying, apprehending, and removing illegal aliens.” Therefore, these “illegal aliens” should be identified, apprehended and removed, that is, deported.
The immigration laws aren’t “broken” or in need of any reform; they’re in need of enforcement.
For many years, we’ve had in place a time-tested and very successful immigration system that allows many people to come to America LEGALLY.
These people came to the US legally.
That you don’t like the asylum seeker clause is your failure.
Was that a Freudian slip, Jay?
Me thinks you doth protest…
aaand ..there goes the neighborhood.. bye bye ..(for real.. just like that ..no neighborhood or citizen input .. ..no voted referendum ..just top down planet crazy authoritariansim ..so special ..all courtesy > NYCCouncil & Affiliated Marxist Council “Representatives” idiocracy
There is no NYCCouncil & Affiliated Marxist Council.
Lying doesn’t further this conversation.