NYC shrinks migrant shelter systems as border crossings are down by more than 50%

New York City is scaling back its emergency shelter system for migrants, as arrivals decline and President-elect Donald Trump prepares to implement mass deportations after taking office next month.

Major Shelter Closure Announced

Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday that the Floyd Bennett Field shelter in Brooklyn, which houses over 1,800 migrants, will close on January 15. Residents will be relocated to other sites. This closure is part of a broader effort that includes shutting down 25 shelter locations, such as a large tent complex on Manhattan’s Randall’s Island, scheduled to close in February.

Migrants and advocates had urged the city to close the shelter, citing its vulnerable location on federal land, which they feared could make residents prime targets for Trump’s deportation plans.

“I thought we were going to be safe here,” said Mariama Barry, a 26-year-old mother of two from Guinea who fled to escape forced marriage and genital mutilation. “Now [Trump] is here again talking about deportation…we’re worried.”

Advocates Voice Support and Concerns

Advocacy groups welcomed the closure but emphasized the need to ensure migrants remain protected. “Floyd Bennett Field…was always the wrong location to shelter vulnerable families with young children,” said the Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless in a joint statement. They called for careful planning to minimize disruptions to schooling, healthcare, and other critical services.

NYC’s Migrant Response Winding Down

The city has received roughly 250,000 migrants since spring 2022, creating a massive strain on its shelter system. Currently, about 55,000 migrants are housed in 200 temporary sites, down from a peak of nearly 70,000 in January. The city has also committed to closing all shelters in upstate counties by the end of December.

Adams attributed the closures to improved management strategies rather than concerns about the incoming Trump administration. “Thanks to our smart management strategies, we’ve turned the corner,” he said, noting the efforts aim to consolidate resources and save taxpayer money.

Migrants Face Uncertainty as Trump’s Plans Loom

Trump’s transition team has pledged the “largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history.” While his team did not comment on Tuesday’s announcement, concerns remain high among migrants about potential deportation efforts targeting federal shelter sites.

Declining Arrivals Nationwide

New migrant arrivals have steadily declined across the U.S., partly due to stricter asylum policies implemented by President Joe Biden in June. In NYC, weekly new arrivals have dropped from a January peak of 3,450 to 500 in early December.

Other cities have similarly reduced their migrant shelter operations. Denver closed its last temporary housing site in October after accommodating up to 5,000 migrants earlier this year, while Chicago now houses 2,700 migrants across seven sites, down from 15,000 in December 2022.

As NYC prepares for the transition of federal leadership, the city faces ongoing challenges balancing humanitarian needs with financial and logistical constraints.