(The Center Square) — More than 2,000 migrants were temporarily relocated to a New York City high school, drawing backlash from parents and local politicians who argued it created safety issues for the students.
The migrants were moved from a tent complex at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett field to the James Madison High School Tuesday night amid concerns that the temporary housing would collapse from torrential rain and wind from an overnight storm. The migrants were moved to the school’s auditorium, forcing the school to switch to remote classes for the day.
New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, the council’s minority whip, blasted the migrant relocations, saying it has raised concerns among parents about the safety and well-being of the 4,000 children who attend the high school. She demanded that the city stop using public schools as migrant shelters.
“Public schools are meant to be places of learning growth for our children and were never intended to be shelters or facilities for emergency housing,” Vernikov said in a statement.
State Assemblyman Michael Novakhov, a Republican, held an “emergency rally” outside the school and blasted the Adams administration’s decision “to prioritize migrants over the our communities, budget, safety and even the education of our children.”
Rep. Mike Lawler, a Hudson Valley Republican, was among members of the state’s congressional delegation who ripped the move to displace high schoolers for the migrants.
“This is why I joined several NY colleagues in June to introduce the Schools Not Shelters Act. Virtual learning was a disaster during COVID yet we’re putting kids through it again so schools can house migrants,” he posted on social media. “Kids shouldn’t pay the price for bad policies.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik also took to social media to rip the move, posting that New York City high school students are “paying the price for reckless Far Left open borders policies.”
“Instead of putting America First, Democrats continue to sacrifice our kids’ future for illegal immigrants,” the Republican said.
The move comes as the Adams administration prepares to enforce its 60-day shelter limit for migrant families, with the first round of migrant families with children being required to leave the city’s shelters.
The city says it has issued about 4,400 60-day notices to migrant families, with notices expiring this week.
New York City has seen an influx of more than 130,000 migrants over the past year amid a surge of immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border, with about 70,000 migrants under the city’s care. The city has spent more than $1 billion on housing and other needs for migrants, and Adams has proposed budget cuts to cover those costs.
On Tuesday, Adams defended the move to evict the families, claiming his administration is working with groups to provide alternative housing for affected families.
“This is not going to be a city where we are going to place where families on the street and have them sleep on the street,” the Democrat told reporters. “That is not going to happen.”
