NEW YORK – Latin immigrants, politicians and activists made their voices heard in New York Thursday in defense of the thousands of immigrants who are arriving in New York, to demand that they be placed in safe housing and not in giant tents as announced by l ‘Office of the Mayor.
“Having a roof over your head is a right” and “Yes, you can,” immigrants shouted in Spanish on the town hall steps, from where the coalition criticized Mayor Eric Adams for his handling of the migration crisis.
The group, which included Democratic lawmakers, told Adams that the decision to house immigrants in tents “is unacceptable” and “inhumane” and called for a “short-term” solution that they be taken to hotels as has been done with others. that preceded.
They recalled that the housing crisis “is not new” and that the city and the state have not solved the problem for years. “It wasn’t created by new immigrants,” they said.
These emergency centers, announced on September 23, consist of tents where immigrants will be welcomed on the same day of their arrival and various services and assistance will be provided to reach their final destination if they choose not to stay in New York.
Nilda Báez, who has lived in the United States for more than 25 years, criticized that “after going through all that drama, it is completely inhumane to think of hosting newcomers in tents. What they deserve is what all human beings. they deserve: a dignified person and a safe home where he can rest without fear, “he said.
Those gathered argued that the tents are not suitable for facing the cold of the approaching winter or storms.
The immigrants who continue to arrive daily have pushed the shelter population to around 62,000, and it comes at a time when many New Yorkers have been evicted from their homes and many more are facing eviction following the pandemic.
Silvana López, a Colombian who arrived a month ago with her husband and three-year-old son fleeing violence, like other immigrants from Latin America, said that everything they ask for “is a decent place to start our life” where there is no fear for safety and your baby has to eat.
“This is a failure of politics, a failure of the imagination and a failure of leadership,” for Mayor Adams, state Senator Jabarl Brisport said.
