Processed and released migrants who illegally crossed the southern border and made their way to New York City are not happy with plans to remove them from hotels, provided to them by the city, and send them to a new shelter, also provided to them by the city.
The migrants, all single adult men, say the conditions at the new shelter are subpar. They are protesting on the street outside the Watson Hotel in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Immigrant activists have been providing supplies to the protesters to help them keep warm during the cold days in January.
NYC: Migrants refuse to leave Watson Hotel for transfer to shelter.
— Carol Clarke (@neverlosetruth) January 30, 2023
No Joke: Migrants want to stay at the hotel, or have Mayor Adams open luxury apartments that are vacant. pic.twitter.com/Y5gXrIJ8dJ
The standoff continues in front of the Watson Hotel. City officials are trying to move single men asylum seekers to an emergency shelter in Brooklyn to make room for migrant families, but a group of men refuse to leave.They say the new facility has subpar conditions. @ABC7NY #nyc pic.twitter.com/TH2t1so7tr
— Janice Yu (@JaniceYuNews) January 31, 2023
Some more footage outside the Watson Hotel entrance in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, after single male migrants were ordered out of the hotel yesterday (many of them refusing to leave) to be sent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and replaced by migrant families.
— Daniel de la Fé (@dandelafe) January 30, 2023
Cops, activists, & media. pic.twitter.com/klKOaM6QBo
New York City has been in damage control mode because of the protest. In response to the migrants' accusation, authorities have been posting videos and photos of the facility the men will be sent to.
Asylum seekers from the Watson Hotel settling in at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal this afternoon @NYTMetro @Telemundo47 @NBCNewYork @NY1 @UniNoticias @ABC7NY @CBSNews
— NYC Immigrant Affairs (@NYCImmigrants) January 31, 2023
@univisionNY @amNewYork @fox5ny @CityAndStateNY @ImpactoLatino @JCColtin @CeFaanKim @HenryRosoff @ViralNewsNYC pic.twitter.com/Hrpg6JLY7F
🧵3. The facilities that the Mayor and city senior officials saw provided:
— NYC Immigrant Affairs (@NYCImmigrants) January 31, 2023
•Controlled temperature
•Hot showers
•Nutritious meals served 3 times/day
•Free transportation by MTA buses and NYC ferries and much more pic.twitter.com/mv0iIr1Iko
Mayor Eric Adams (D) has been saying for months now the city's resources are reaching their limit due to the influx of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to having to build new shelters and using hotels, the city's homeless shelters have also had to be used for people arriving from Texas and Arizona.