NEW YORK — New York City has closed down a large tent facility that was home to hundreds of migrant families at the former Floyd Bennett Field airport in Brooklyn. This move comes as the city reduces its emergency shelter provisions, which were put in place to accommodate a rise in migrants arriving from the southern border. In recent months, the influx of new arrivals has shown signs of slowing down, prompting the city to adjust its shelter solutions.
The last of the approximately 2,000 residents of this makeshift camp vacated the location over the weekend, with workers spotted dismantling the large tents soon after. Authorities have indicated that this temporary accommodation, situated on federally leased land, might have been susceptible to immigration enforcement actions with the onset of a new administration.
Jehinzo Gonzalez, a 47-year-old migrant from Venezuela, shared that he and his family were relocated to a nearby city-run shelter just prior to Christmas. Expressing relief, he noted, “It’s a more dignified place for the family. We have three rooms for the five of us. Comfortable beds, a private bathroom,” reflecting on the improvements compared to the conditions they experienced in the tent camp since arriving in October.
Since the spring of 2022, over 250,000 migrants have arrived in New York; however, the number of new entrants has seen a continuous decline over the past 27 weeks, reaching the lowest levels in over a year, as confirmed by the administration of Mayor Eric Adams. Currently, around 50,000 migrants are accommodated across nearly 200 temporary locations, a notable drop from the roughly 70,000 individuals housed in January of last year.
Despite these reductions, frequent shelter closures and relocations have caused disruption for many migrant families. This challenging situation is forcing families to change their daily routines concerning work, education, and other essential needs as they attempt to stabilize their lives in the city.
Gabriel Montilla, another migrant from Venezuela, expressed frustration over the lengthy daily commuting required after his family moved from the now-closed Floyd Bennett Field tents to a hotel in Queens. After taking his three young children to school in Brooklyn, on a particularly cold day, he hurried to submit immigration paperwork at a government office. “If it were summer or something without such cold weather, it would be different,” Montilla remarked. “But at least for now it’s too strong, very strong; it is difficult.”
Advocacy groups for migrants are calling for more comprehensive measures to assist these individuals in finding permanent housing solutions. They argue for reforms including ending policies that limit the duration migrants can stay in shelters and improving access to case management and legal support to help with immigration status and work permits. Will Watts, a deputy executive director at the Coalition for the Homeless, emphasized these points.
Furthermore, Steph Rudolph, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society, suggested that newly arrived migrants should be integrated into the city’s existing shelter system for the homeless. This is seen as a way to protect them from potential immigration enforcement actions. With the changing political landscape, there are concerns about new policies that could lead to increased immigration enforcement, which some fear will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
Amidst these rapidly changing dynamics, Gonzalez articulated his family’s anxieties about their future, despite the relief of moving from the airport facility. “They should respect the laws,” he stated regarding the anticipated incoming government, adding that he and his wife have filed for asylum, possess work permits, and are working part-time at a local grocery store. “We are doing everything as dictated by the laws of the country. We hope to God that everything goes well.”
The city plans to close additional shelters in the weeks ahead, including another large tent site on Randall’s Island, which is set to close next month. Recently, the Adams administration also announced the closure of ten other shelters, including one in Brooklyn that once accommodated over 3,300 single men. Overall, these changes are expected to decrease the city’s migrant housing capacity by about 7,800 beds, despite the establishment of a new shelter in the Bronx which will house over 2,200 men being relocated from the tent facilities.
