Julio Cesar Alvado, from Nicaragua, is one of the hundred migrants housed in hotels in the city who were transferred to this recreation center in Sunset Park, in Brooklyn.
“It’s something different, but one always has to be thankful because just having the fact that they give us food and shelter in this place is really appreciated,” Alvado explains.
Another recreation center that is also being used as a temporary shelter here in Brooklyn is the McCarren in Williamsburg. In this they are housing between 80 and 100 migrants.
The mayor’s office has ensured that public access to the pool and gym will not be affected and that there will be additional security.
This comes after the municipal government warned that the city’s permanent and temporary shelters are full.
And also after dozens of migrants slept on the sidewalk in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.
For his part, Mayor Adams said this Friday at a press conference that without the help of the state and federal government, scenes like that outside the Roosevelt Hotel, unfortunately, may become more common, despite the efforts of the city.
We spoke to some off-camera neighbors who told us they were upset that space is being limited at this recreation center in Sunset Park, but others say they understand what these immigrants need.
Adriano Núñez, a resident of Sunset Park:
“Well, you know, we have to understand as good-hearted citizens that they have their needs and they come from countries where our governments are not good at all, and they come with great needs,” he says.
Meanwhile, Alvado and other asylum seekers say they feel stuck in this immigration process.
“Because I have called thousands of lawyers who give me the numbers, social workers, who are free and I have not been able…, for one to answer the phone, the opportunity has not been given,” he adds.
Carlos Alemán, another asylum seeker, tells us about the process:
“Then you knock on the door, and they say, you have ID, you have social and then you can’t risk taking out false papers because it’s dangerous.”
Around 95,600 asylum seekers have arrived here since last year.
This includes 2,300 in the last week of July, according to municipal government data.
To date, the city has already opened 194 shelters and 13 humanitarian aid centers.
2023-08-06 15:28:00
#understand #neighbor
