NEW YORK (PIX11) — New York City leaders and migrants gathered at City Hall on Sunday to demand aid from the federal government.
More than 40,000 asylum seekers have come to New York City. Mayor Eric Adams said it’s putting a strain on the city’s resources. While the city will continue to help migrants, Adams said the federal government must have someone solely responsible for coordinating cities that are receiving migrants.
“We are faced with a humanitarian crisis that was created by man’s hands,” Adams said. “It will undermine not only our city, but it will undermine our country. And if we do not effectively respond to this crisis in the level it deserves, we are going to take the pursuit of the American dream and turn it into a nightmare for those who want to participate in the greatness of our country.”
In a statement issued Monday, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that the agency is pitching in to provide food and shelter to migrants.
“As the Secretary noted at the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week, DHS is providing Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds to help cities around the country better manage the costs of noncitizen arrivals in their communities,” the spokesperson said. “The 2023 Omnibus funding bill also authorized the creation of a new DHS grant program, the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), to support these communities.”
Franyerson, a migrant who’s a civil engineer from Venezuela, traveled two months through treacherous conditions to hopefully give his three children a better life. He said the trip was worth it.
Leaders stressed that the surge in migrant population also requires support from the community. They reminded people that migrants are individuals seeking a better life who should be treated with dignity and respect.
