Several Williamsburg schools have been chosen to host migrants arriving in New York City, part of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration’s plan to find shelter for thousands in need of a place to stay.
While they work to determine which other locations will host shelters, we know now that the facilities at PS 17/MS 577, PS 18, and PS 132, as well as schools in other Brooklyn neighborhoods, are in use.
“All of the school gyms being used as emergency shelters are standalone gyms,” NY7 reports.
Parents from PS 17 held a protest against the decision this morning, citing safety concerns with hosting migrants in the proximity of school children. Others also expressed frustration at the loss of access to the long-awaited school gym, which finally opened in January after extensive renovations. Children held signs saying “We support migrants BUT not at school” and “We need recess!”
To deal with a new lack of recreational space, the city granted another elementary school, PS 132, access to use Conselyea Street as an open street.
These schools join another new shelter in Williamsburg, though that one is located in a hotel.
“Last week, my office was informed that the Department of Social Services recently opened a shelter for families seeking asylum in District 33. This hotel shelter in Williamsburg currently houses 35 families, many with young children,” read a community-wide email from Council Member Lincoln Restler this morning.
Restler’s office is hosting a clothing drive to collect supplies for the arriving families. You can drop off items at 410 Atlantic Avenue.
Over 60,000 migrants have arrived in the city over the past year, many of them Venezuelans fleeing extreme political and economic instability.
There is still a lot that is unknown about the situation, such as how long the facilities will be in use, but we will keep you updated as we learn more, including ways you can help support migrants arriving in our neighborhood.
“Migrants” is used as a euphemism to present a friendlier, non-threatening image. They are illegal aliens per Title 8 U.S.C. sec. 1824.
Amusing example of their hypocrisy when it directly affects their previously safe and insulated world. This is self-inflicted. Most, if not all, of the parents who are complaining blindly toe the progressive line by consistently voting for the same usual suspects responsible for this. They deserve the government they voted for. Typically, they wholeheartedly embrace these policies as long as they are implemented in other neighborhoods. Now, they scream “NIMBY!”
Would like to add that ‘progressive’ is a euphemism for Socialist/Socialism, which (ironically) is the very political system (Venezuela) many of the illegal aliens are attempting to escape from.
Why illegal immigrants are being bused to NYC in the first place is another issue (blame rests with the right wing of the Republican party)..
Anyways..please vote out extremists (left & right) in the upcoming NYC city council primary if you’d like your child’s school to remain a school rather than become (NYC taxpayer funded) ‘migrant’ housing.
One of the key tenants that makes a country a country are rules that define who is a citizen. Once you throw that out the window and allow anybody in, you cease to be a viable country but a joke. Also it usually bankrupts the county or the cities that allow this.
Let’s say for argument sake I am 100% wrong (which I am not). It also helps elect demagogues like Trump which are a real threat to democracy.
The current administration, and the Democrat Party as a whole, engages in identity politics in order to divide the country and parrots the tired, worn out and vague soundbite that “the immigration system is broken” without providing any specific examples of why it’s allegedly broken. It’s broken only because Biden, DHS, etc., refuse to enforce the laws. The nonsense about needing “comprehensive” reforms is just that. If they willfully refuse to enforce existing laws, which they swore an oath to do when taking office, adding more will accomplish nothing.
Is there a contact for each school to speak to about donating needed items or volunteering for meal distributions?