Mutual Aid groups’ posters for assistance at the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Red Hook. “There was a moment where I paused and I was like, could that be true?” Macias said. The commentary he had heard, including people calling the facility an “icebox,” worried him. When Macias, the Ecuadorian migrant, was told to leave the Watson Hotel several days ago, he chose to join those protesting on the sidewalk outside the hotel instead of going to Red Hook immediately, he said. The remaining migrants “chose to go their own ways,” he said, noting that they could come back to the Red Hook facility if they chose to. Most of the migrants decided to board buses to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal “immediately” on Wednesday night, Levy said, and six migrants chose to be ticketed to other cities. “The bad thing about this place is just that there’s no privacy,” said Luis Macias, a 23-year-old Ecuadorian migrant who arrived in New York about two months ago.īY Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio May 11, 2023 Press has not been allowed inside the center. Men staying in Red Hook also have to exit the center and walk outside to access the showers, they said. Hundreds of cots are lined up in one space inside the facility, migrants staying at the facility said. The Red Hook shelter has the capacity to house 1,000 people, has about 100 bathroom stalls and has heated trailers for showers, New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes, who represents the 26th Senate District that includes Red Hook, said after visiting the center. “You would get to the train faster and then go in whatever direction you needed to.” “Over there, at least it was easier for us because of the train,” Fernandez said. While some migrants said the shuttle service and the free ferry were helpful, they missed the accessibility Manhattan offered. “More can be done to orient people to the area,” she said.įree round-trip ferry tickets have also been provided every day for migrants, according to Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office. She also noted migrants have not been given metro cards. Gale Brewer, the City Council Member for District 6 in Manhattan, said the City runs a shuttle to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but acknowledged that the Red Hook location was far from the subway or any commercial strips. In interviews with Documented, migrants often brought up the terminal’s remote location from the subway. While this is an emergency situation our federal government, state and city could be doing much more.” That doesn’t mean we’ve done enough for them. “We get a little blanket but it doesn’t warm us up a lot.”Ĭatalina Cruz, an assemblywoman for the 39th District, said on Twitter that she toured the facility on Thursday, and spoke with about half a dozen people staying there - all of whom also expressed they were grateful to New York for the resources provided.īut, she added: “That doesn’t mean that this set up is ok. Veliz said he had to sleep with his winter jacket on because his cot is near the entrance of the facility where it gets especially cold. Among the complaints, several migrants said it is cold throughout the night. “For me it’s important that they understand that we’re doing this for them to be in a safe environment where they can access resources,” Castro told the press.īut the NYC facility is not without its shortcomings, migrants said. The facility was specifically intended to meet the needs of migrants, he explained outside the Watson Hotel. The Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), Manuel Castro, said the City has been battling misinformation about the facility. “I couldn’t turn that down,” he said, adding that in Red Hook, the shelter serves them food, is equipped with a game room, WiFi, TVs - and even ping pong tables. Gleibert Veliz, a 20-year-old Venezuelan migrant, said that he embraced any support he was given. “We are privileged in that they are helping us,” he said. Fernandez, 23, has been in New York for about three months and said that he did not have any complaints against the government. “Honestly, they have helped us a lot,” Daniel Fernandez, a migrant from Venezuela, said in Spanish. Also Read: Migrants Opt to Sleep on NYC Streets Instead of “Inhumane” Center at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |