By: Hal C Clarke

The initial group of migrants was transported to Floyd Bennett Field’s temporary tent city in Brooklyn on a Sunday, and their response was far from enthusiastic. Numerous migrant families, under the auspices of the Adams administration, arrived at this controversial remote housing facility a little after 12:30 p.m. However, upon arrival, many of them immediately boarded the bus in an attempt to return to their previous shelters, expressing their displeasure with the situation, NY Post reported.

One of the migrant fathers who were bused to the field complained about the lack of information provided, stating, “We weren’t told where we were going. I work in The Bronx. My kids go to school in The Bronx. For us to live out here is ridiculous.” He was determined to go back to their previous location.

Another migrant father, who had been staying at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, also expressed his reluctance to stay at the field. He mentioned that they were not informed about their destination, and they were initially told they were being taken to a shelter. The isolation and impracticality of living at Floyd Bennett Field were major concerns for them.

Floyd Bennett Field, a former military airfield in Brooklyn, is intended to house around 2,000 migrants, but the first group of arrivals chose to leave after just one glimpse. The site has faced significant criticism due to its remote location and concerns about fire safety.

State Assemblywoman Jaime Williams, whose district includes the national park, expressed her concerns about the situation. She spoke with a man from the city’s Health and Hospitals system, who explained that the migrants left because they were frightened and unsure of their purpose at the site. They believed that the location was too isolated for commuting to work or taking their children to school.

The absence of essential infrastructure, like supermarkets, also made the site less than ideal. Williams expressed her intention to reach out to legal authorities, the mayor, and the governor to request the cancellation of the site’s lease.

A spokesperson for the Adams administration acknowledged that some migrants rejected the site and signed release forms, but others chose to stay. The city claimed that it had used all available spaces for sheltering migrants due to the large influx of asylum seekers.

One bus driver shared the shock of workers when many migrants refused to stay at the site. The driver emphasized that they had not anticipated this reaction and that only a few individuals decided to remain.

Fire officials had previously warned that Floyd Bennett Field was not suitable for housing due to its remote location, limited access to fire hydrants, and concerns about the use of e-bikes powered by lithium batteries, which have caused fires in the city. The field’s location also raised concerns about the capacity of FDNY units to respond to potential fires.

Despite these concerns, Mayor Adams assured that safety measures were in place, including designated areas for storing e-bikes and shuttle services to the city’s five boroughs. City officials were working on logistics to provide transportation for migrant children to attend schools located at a distance.

With the influx of more than 140,000 migrants into New York City since the spring of 2022, city officials have been scrambling to find suitable shelter options.