Taking turns to sleep, a total of 74 immigrants were crammed into the basement of a furniture store in Queens. The New York Police, together with other authorities, found the illegal migrant shelter, with 14 bunk beds and 13 beds.
Our reporter Alejandro Condis, from Univision 41, went to the furniture store located in South Richmond Hill. The owner of the premises explained that he divided a wall with several pieces of furniture and a large rug, which became the access to the illegal shelter.
Between the small hallways there were mattresses and hundreds of packages with belongings.
A public surveillance camera showed the moment when the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the NYPD and other authorities arrived at the furniture store to close the shelter.
Most of the migrants crowded into the furniture store are African
Alejandro Condis was able to talk with some of the immigrants who were evicted from the furniture store and confirmed that the majority are African. They come from Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania.
One of them expressed that since arriving in the United States they have only faced problems, claiming that he has health problems in one of his legs.
The owner of the furniture store charged $300 dollars per person
The eviction of the 74 migrants from the furniture store began with a neighbor, who contacted the authorities when she noticed that they had blocked a window and saw an accumulation of electric bicycles, which represented a fire risk.
Although the owner of the furniture store said there was no danger, authorities indicated that the place was unsafe to escape from a possible fire. It also had no ventilation or natural light.
The owner of the premises received two fines related to the situation, in addition to unauthorized plumbing work. However, he assures that he only wanted to help so that they did not sleep on the street.
Apparently, among the refugees was a cousin, whom he had been supporting since October.
He allegedly charged $300 per person, but those who couldn’t afford to pay stayed for free.
The owner of a barber shop, located in front of the furniture store, told Univision 41 that this situation is due to the 30-day policy that Mayor Eric Adams imposed on authorized shelters.
He also showed the refrigerator with food that he has outside his business, for anyone who needs it. He even highlighted that the migrants evicted from the furniture store had shoveled snow from the last snowfall.
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