New York City officials are worried that President-elect Donald J. Trump might close a shelter on federal land.
New York City officials have made the decision to close a large tent complex in Brooklyn that currently houses around 2,000 migrants. This move is in anticipation of potential actions from the Trump administration, as the shelter is located on federal land. There is concern that the shelter could be targeted for closure or immigration raids once President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office in January.
The shelter at Floyd Bennett Field is just one of 25 shelters that will be shut down by March due to a decrease in the number of migrants arriving in the city over the past five months. These closures include various locations such as hotels, college dormitories, and a warehouse-turned-shelter at Kennedy Airport. Additionally, the city was paying for accommodations for migrants in 10 hotels upstate, all of which will also be closed.
The decision to close these shelters is a result of the ongoing decline in the migrant population in the city. Over the past two years, New York City has spent over $6 billion to house migrants, but with the decreasing numbers, the need for these shelters has diminished. Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, did not specifically mention President-elect Trump as a reason for the closure of the Floyd Bennett Field shelter, but the decision is seen as a precautionary measure.
City officials have stated that the lease for the Floyd Bennett Field shelter will expire by March, and families will be relocated by January 15, just before the new administration takes over. Mayor Adams emphasized the city’s commitment to finding more consolidation opportunities to save taxpayer money while effectively managing the response to the migrant crisis.
Source: The NY Times
