As city officials look for places to house migrants, they’ve set up an emergency site inside a Brooklyn elementary school gymnasium.
Inside the gym at PS 188 in Coney Island, more than 60 cribs were ready to be used.
Hundreds of asylum seekers arrive every day, according to city officials. In the last week alone, 4,200 were processed in the city.
As of Saturday, no one had moved in, but many members of the community were having strong reactions to the news of the shelter’s possible opening.
“I think they are doing it because the school is getting ready to close. And this is like a quick fix. You put a Band-Aid on it, but in the long run, the federal government stepped in,” said Coney Island resident Jerome Buckner.
The move comes as the influx of migrants is expected to grow after Title 42, a pandemic restriction on asylum seekers, expired on Thursday.
Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan says the community was not informed of the shelter’s opening.
“Our compassion is endless, but our resources are not. And the people of Coney Island deserve better. And they deserve notice and they deserve to understand what’s going on,” Brannan said.
As officials consider possible emergency sites, the mayor and governor are also eyeing Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.
Gov. Kathy Hochul asked President Joe Biden for the federal lands, saying they need to help deal with the influx of migrants.
New Yorkers enjoying the day at Floyd Bennett Field Saturday did not object to the suggestion.
“I think it’s good. I mean, this is a big area, an epic open field. I mean, not necessarily like being near us. Like around here. I mean, I think it’s good. I mean, they have to put some people somewhere,” said Brooklyn resident Jason Chen.
City officials say they have helped more than 65,000 asylum seekers and created more than 130 emergency shelters.
Now, they are asking the state and federal government for help in dealing with this humanitarian crisis.
