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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline FEBRUARY 21, 2025 | The Indian Eye 16

NYC Mayor Adams Announces Closure Of

Six More Emergency Asylum Seeker Sites

OUR BUREAU
NEW YORK, NY
ew York City Mayor Eric Ad-
ams has announced the city
Nwill soon close six additional
emergency sites dedicated to shelter-
ing and caring for asylum seekers—
including the Creedmoor Human-
itarian Emergency Response and
Relief Center, the last of the city’s
large tent-based emergency response
shelters. The closure of the final tent-
based migrant shelter marks a power-
ful milestone in the nearly three years
New York City has responded to the
asylum seeker humanitarian crisis.
The ability to soon shutter op-
erations at Creedmoor, along with
the five other sites announced to-
day, brings the total number of clo-
sures between June 2024 and June
2025 to 52— a direct result of the
Adams administration’s tireless ef-
forts to mitigate this crisis and help
asylum seekers take the next steps
in their journeys towards the Amer-
ican Dream. These efforts include
expanding work authorization and than 230,000 people arriving with sures of Randall’s Island and Floyd 2025, bringing the total number of
pathways — leading to more than little more than the clothes on their Bennett Field, is a significant mile- closures between June 2024 and June
83 percent of adults eligible for work backs and hope,” said Mayor Ad- stone and a reflection of both the 2025 to 52. The administration is mak-
authorization receiving or applying ams. “Because of the decisions we hard work and effective management ing final determinations on what new
for it in the city’s system — and the have made and the policies we have of an unprecedented crisis, as well sites to close and hopes to have those
administration’s successful asylum implemented, including opening up as the grace of the communities that sites finalized in the coming days.
seeker management strategies — in- our tent based humanitarian relief opened their arms to people in their Since the first asylum seekers ar-
cluding reticketing, case manage- centers and advocating for changes to most vulnerable moments. We could rived in the five boroughs in the spring
ment, and 30- and 60-day notices — national border policies, our admin- not have been successful without our of 2022, New York City has continued
resulting in sustained decreases in istration has effectively moved us to local communities taking on the pow- to focus on building the structures
the number of asylum seekers in city the opposite side of the mountain we erful responsibility we asked of them. needed to help migrants take their
shelters arriving at its lowest point were forced to climb. The fact that As we navigate the future of our re- next steps towards self-sufficiency.
since the height of the humanitarian within a span of year we will soon sponse, we continue to find creative The city’s Asylum Application Help
response. There are currently less be closing 52 sites and shuttering the ways to meet the needs of our guests Center — a first-in-the-nation entity
than 45,000 migrants receiving city last of the tent-based facilities show and look to partner with the commu- — has helped complete more than
shelter services, down from a high of both our continued progress and our nities they now call home to do so.” 96,000 applications for work autho-
69,000 in January of 2024 and out of continued commitment to effective- Based in Queens, on the state- rization, temporary protected status,
the more than 231,000 that have ar- ly care for those who are still within run Creedmoor Mental Health Hos- and asylum. The work of the New
rived in New York City seeking city our system and the communities who pital campus, the facility was one of York City Department of Small Busi-
services since the spring of 2022. The have supported them during their several unique tent-based structures ness Services and workforce develop-
city’s efforts have directly resulted in journeys.” brought online — including similar ment teams have secured hundreds
approximately 24,000 fewer asylum “Caring for these newest New facilities on Randall’s Island and at of job opportunities for current and
seekers in the city’s care on a day- Yorkers who came to us over the Floyd Bennett field — to handle the former asylum seekers in the city’s
to-day basis, and allowed the Adams last few years has been a shared re- unprecedented influx of asylum seek- care, and the administration’s case
administration to announce multiple sponsibility among all of us who love ing migrants to New York City. At its management and resettlement teams
additional site closures in December New York City and call it home,” said height, the Creedmoor Humanitari- — in conjunction with teams across
2024 and January 2025. Mayor’s Office of Asylum Seeker an Emergency Response and Relief multiple city agencies — continue
“There was never a playbook Operations Executive Director Molly Center sheltered more than 1,200 to find creative ways to assist recent
for this unprecedented response to Schaeffer. “Today’s announcement, migrants. arrivals through direct outreach, re-
a humanitarian crisis in our city; and coupled with the dozens of other Building off of the previously source fairs, and onsite English as a
no other municipality had to deal closures we are making this year, in- announced schedule of closures, the Second Language courses at shelters,
with the scale and burden of more cluding the recently announced clo- city will shutter six more sites by June to name a few examples.

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