NEW YORK, CMC– Mayor Eric Adams has announced the placement of a new humanitarian emergency response and relief center on Randall’s Island in New York City, as the number of Caribbean and other asylum seekers in the city’s care moved past 57,200.
Many refugees coming to New York are from Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.
Adams said in partnership with New York State; the city will construct and open a new humanitarian relief center on Randall’s Island to serve up to 2,000 adults seeking asylum.
He said New York State will reimburse the city for the associated site costs, including construction, maintenance, and staffing.
As the number of asylum seekers in our care continues to grow by hundreds every day, stretching our system to its breaking point, it has become more and more of a Herculean effort to find enough beds every night,” said Mayor Adams.
“We’re grateful to Governor [Kathy] Hochul and New York State for their partnership in opening this new humanitarian relief center and covering the costs, and we need more of the same from all levels of government. We will continue to work with the governor and elected officials across the state to address this crisis as New York City continues to do more than any other level of government.”
Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Anne Williams-Isom, said that opening the latest humanitarian relief center “demonstrates that the city will continue to meet its obligations. However, it also shows that space continues to tighten.
“As we have reiterated in recent weeks, all options for shelter space remain on the table. Thank you to Governor Hochul and her team for working with us on this space and covering the associated costs”.
Adams said since this humanitarian crisis began, the city has taken fast and urgent action in opening over 190 emergency shelters.
Earlier, the city released “The Road Forward: A Blueprint to Address New York City’s Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis,” detailing how the city will continue to manage the influx of asylum seekers and advocate for support from federal and state partners.
But in response to the city’s latest plans, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams said, “As the scope and urgency of this humanitarian crisis grows, the insufficient state response and near-total lack of natural federal aid have forced the city – which has, of course, made its missteps – to now choose from the best of bad options.
“I urge Albany and Washington to see the reality of the challenges facing people seeking asylum in our city and finally step up instead of looking away,” Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
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