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Edited by: TJVNews.com
New York City’s ongoing struggle to manage the influx of migrants has taken an unexpected turn as officials propose repurposing the former Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan as a shelter for illegal migrants who have crossed the southern border, as was reported by the New York Post. The move comes amidst increasing pressure on the city’s already strained shelter system due to the continuous arrival of tens of thousands of migrants. However, the Post report said that the suggestion has ignited a heated debate over the suitability of the site and the city’s approach to handling the migrant crisis.
In an August 9th letter addressed to Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration, city officials laid out their proposal to house migrants in the now-defunct federal jail that once held high-profile inmates like John Gotti, Bernie Madoff, and “El Chapo.” The Post reported that this move marks an attempt to address the urgent need for additional housing options for asylum seekers, with the city already resorting to renting hotels and setting up “tent cities” across the five boroughs.
The former Metropolitan Correctional Center has a contentious history, plagued by issues ranging from unsanitary conditions to security lapses. Notably, the jail was closed in 2021 following increased scrutiny and public outcry following Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide while in custody, according to the Post report.
However, the proposal to repurpose this jail as a migrant shelter has sparked controversy. Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, vehemently criticized the idea, stating that such a facility with its tarnished history is not a suitable place to support individuals seeking to establish new lives in a new country, the Post report said.
“Mayor Adams likes to say that all options are on the table when it comes to housing asylum seekers, but certain places should most definitely be off the table,” Awawdeh said. The Post reported that he added, “The Metropolitan Correctional Center was a notoriously decrepit jail and is not a suitable place to support people trying to build a new life in a new country.”
“While we decline to comment concerning governmental correspondence, we can provide; MCC New York is closed, at least temporarily, and long-term plans for MCC New York have not been finalized,” the federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement, as was reported by the Post.
City officials have not limited their proposal to the former jail, also requesting state-owned properties like the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center and State University of New York dormitories for housing incoming migrants, according to the Post report. While the convention center has been used for migrant processing, the prospect of dormitory housing has faced opposition from a majority of New Yorkers, as indicated by a poll released in June.
The response from the Hochul administration has been swift and severe. Accusing City Hall of being slow to react and disregarding repeated offers of state assistance, the governor’s office expressed frustration with the city’s handling of the migrant crisis, as was reported by the Post. The city’s assertion that it has been largely left to grapple with a national humanitarian crisis highlights the complexities of managing such a widespread and multifaceted issue.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has been at the forefront of addressing the crisis, defended the proposal, asserting that the city has exhausted numerous options in its search for suitable housing sites, the Post report noted. With over 100,000 migrants arriving in the city since the spring of the previous year, the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. While the proposal to repurpose the former jail has sparked controversy, it also underscores the pressing need for collaborative efforts between federal, state, and local authorities to address the ongoing migrant influx and provide dignified living conditions for those seeking refuge in the United States.
