On Friday, May 12th, multiple sources reported that the Adams administration is preparing to house up to 100 migrants at PS 188 in Coney Island. The site will accommodate up to 100 single adult male and female migrants. The migrants will be housed in the school’s gym, which is a separate building detached from the school.
There are 64 cots set up for the migrants. Currently, various city agencies have been on site since Thursday preparing for the arrival of the migrants. The gym will act as an overflow center ahead of the anticipated influx of migrants into New York City following the expiration of Title 42.
Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Deputy Commissioner John Grimm, OEM Citywide Coordinator Peter Bojmal, OEM Plan Manager Beatrice Teston, and Med-Rite Manager Jovite Gjushi are overseeing the operation.
On Wednesday, May 10th, Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order suspending certain aspects of New York City’s right-to-shelter law in preparation for the expiration of the United States’ Title 42 border policy. Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for Mayor Adams, said, “This is not a decision taken lightly and we will make every effort to get asylum seekers into shelter as quickly as possible as we have done since day one.”
Levy continued, “In an effort to mitigate those risks and find room within our shelter system, the city has temporarily suspended the policy surrounding for placements in shelters.”
The executive order signed by Mayor Adams suspends the city’s requirement to secure a bed for those seeking shelter within a certain time frame. It also suspends the requirement to secure a unit with access to a bathroom and kitchen for families seeking shelter.
The Adams administration recently announced their plan to begin busing migrants to nearby counties in an effort to reduce the stress on the New York City shelter system. Rockland County and Orange County officials both pushed back, declaring a state of emergency in both counties, with judges placing temporary restraining orders on hotels, preventing them from accepting and housing migrants.
An email from the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services was released on Tuesday, May 9th, further showing the dire straits the city is in during the largest humanitarian crisis in city history. “We need your help! The city is also looking for emergency sites such as gyms or dorms that are available quickly and that could be used by the City temporarily to provide immediate relief to asylum seekers.” The email, which was sent to vendors the city works with regularly, showed that they were desperate for spaces to house the growing migrant population ahead of Title 42’s expiration.
