New York City Desperately Seeks to House Illegal Migrants - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
New York City Desperately Seeks to House Illegal Migrants
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New York City is considering housing its 108,000 illegal migrants in more than 3,000 different locations — an increase from the city’s current 194.

NYC’s migrant crisis made national headlines when videos and photos emerged online of hundreds of migrants sleeping outside of the Roosevelt Hotel after it surpassed max occupancy. The city has also placed migrants in the New York Police Department’s old academy building.

In May, Mayor Eric Adams’ chief of staff, Camille Varlack, asked the city’s agencies whether they had extra space to house the illegal migrants. City officials also floated the idea of using Central Park — about which Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom dodged questions last week — the Flatiron Building, and children’s soccer fields. The John F. Kennedy International Airport is currently undergoing construction as plans to accommodate migrants there await federal approval.

Illegal Migrants Flood into New York City 

Williams-Isom said that the migrant crisis has reached a “breaking point,” as more than 95,600 illegal migrants have traveled to the city since last spring. In July, the overwhelming surge of illegal migrants to the city prompted Adams to discourage their travel, claiming the city is “very expensive.” 

NYC also issued pamphlets warning incoming migrants that there “is no guarantee we will be able to provide shelter and services to new arrivals” — a message that the National Guard refused to hand out. (RELATED: Record Number of Terrorists Caught Attempting to Illegally Enter the US)

In response to the crisis, Adams complained that the White House has not sent the city enough money. Adams even said that the state and federal government should “step up” to solve the city’s migrant crisis. 

The Danger of Sanctuary Cities

Political scientist Wilfred Reilly commented that those at the Roosevelt Hotel were “fighting-age, exclusively male,” and “Totally Not Economic Migrants.”

Allowing illegal migrants, many of whom are adult men, to live on the streets of New York City could pose a danger to residents.

In 2022, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 46,396 criminal non-citizens in the U.S., a number that is predicted to rise as more illegal immigrants pour into the country. New York City’s police arrested 10 criminal non-citizens during the first four days of May; charges included rape, homicide, and conspiracy. In March, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested 27 criminal non-citizens in New York City during a nationwide operation for crimes that included rape, sex abuse, and illegal possession of a firearm.

New York City originally became a sanctuary city in the 1980s. During his mayoral campaign, Adams promised that it would remain a sanctuary city and would continue to welcome illegal immigrants. 

As the migrant crisis in New York worsens, mass illegal migration appears less tenable. In the Adam’s words, “This is unsustainable.”

Emma Verrigni is a rising sophomore at Hillsdale College studying history and journalism. A member of The American Spectator’s 2023 intern class, Emma enjoys reading philosophy and the news.

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