New York City authorities are finalizing details of a new shelter in Brooklyn for immigrants that in the last two years has strained its infrastructure with the arrival of more than 113,000 foreigners, most of them seeking asylum in the United States. .
The new reception center will have a capacity for about 2,000 foreigners, mainly families. But local media report that community leaders are concerned “about the security” of the facility, located on the outskirts of Brooklyn.
The enclosure was built on runway number 19 of the old naval air station. The project includes huge tents where trailers with a bathroom and shower, a processing center, a medical center and a cafeteria will also operate, the local ABC station reported this Monday on its website.
Mayor Adams’ Confidence
Last week, a report from the New York Fire Department warned about the hydrant system in the area where the refugee center was built, indicating that it is an old line that does not guarantee being in optimal conditions in the event of an emergency. .
However, the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, insists the site is safe. Despite the optimism, local leaders insist on their concerns after an inspection by the Fire Department.
Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola posted a video on the social network This is where the city and some members of the federal government want to place immigrants in the very near future. And this is not even a tropical storm: what will happen if a hurricane comes?”
In a second post Ariola quotes Governor Kathy Hochul and tells her: “This seems like a great place to house people, right? This is the actual trail at Floyd Bennett Field right now: It’s so flooded that it can be used for water skiing. I hope you have a plan to distribute life jackets to all the people you plan to house here.”
The New York Post wrote over the weekend that amid criticism, Mayor Adams is moving forward with his plans and hopes that the refugee center at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn will soon be inaugurated.
The enabling of the new center
The new Brooklyn refugee center was announced by Adams on September 15 and is intended to house foreigners who arrived in New York seeking asylum in the United States.
The new center has the support of the federal government. “New York City has entered into a lease agreement with the federal government that allows us to use Camp Floyd Bennett as an emergency site to house some of the more than 113,300 asylum seekers who have sought our care since spring 2022. ”Adams said on the day of the announcement.
“I want to thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to fully reimburse New York City for the use of this site, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with our friends in Albany as we manage this current crisis,” he added.
But Adams also used the occasion to make clear that “if the federal government were to issue an emergency declaration, there would be additional federal space and funds available to better manage this crisis.”
“Because we have not seen significant political changes to alter the course of this crisis, we have been forced to unsustainably open one new site after another as thousands of asylum seekers continue to arrive. “This is not an adequate solution or any type of long-term plan by the federal government for this national problem,” the councilor said.
Adams urges work permits for asylum seekers
Simultaneously with the work to complete the facilities of the new immigrant shelter in Brooklyn, Mayor Adams reiterated to the Biden government to authorize and expedite the delivery of work permits (employment authorizations -EAD-) to asylum seekers.
“We will continue to advocate for expedited work authorizations for asylum seekers, a federal emergency declaration, increased federal funding, and a national and state decompression strategy,” he said.
The mayor also indicated that the municipality of New York remains hopeful that the federal government understands the efforts that the city is carrying out “to lead this national humanitarian crisis.”
Adams’ calls for the Biden administration to grant work permits to foreigners seeking asylum as soon as possible join similar requests made by congressmen, organizations that defend immigrant rights, and lawyers.
By law, asylum seekers have the right to process a work permit 180 days after requesting the benefit through form I-589. But thousands of those who long for the document, despite having been in the country for months after passing the first part of the credible fear interview, have not been able to be in front of a judge in a deportation trial where they will be able to request asylum. And five months after requesting it, process the employment authorization.
Others who entered undocumented do not know that they have one year to request asylum before the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), also through form I-589. The difference is that it is an affirmative asylum that, if rejected, is referred to the Immigration Court (EOIR) where the petitioner will face a defensive asylum process.
Lawyers consulted by Univision Noticias also warned that in most cases the immigration service takes about 5 months to process the work permit, time that adds to the long wait to be able to work legally in the United States.
2023-10-30 16:40:00
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