New York state Governor Kathy Hochul has authorized New York Mayor Eric Adams to use a former jail to house migrants in the face of the flood of undocumented immigrants that continues to arrive in the city. The City Council thanked the state for the permit and pointed out that the use of the Lincoln Correctional Facility cells as a migrant shelter will be "a respite" for the city.
It is a 10,000 square foot building located north of Central Park. Previous Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered to close it in 2019, and Governor Adams had been looking for a use for it since he took office. Moreover, it will not be the first time the facility will be used as housing. During World War II, it housed immigrants from the Young Women's Hebrew Association as well as American soldiers.
Hotels, gyms, etc.: New York seeks space for migrants
City Council expressed gratitude to the state for this decision, which will help to decongest the immigrant centers that led the mayor to use recreational center gymnasiums as temporary housing points, provoking fierce protests from parents. "We are grateful to the State for providing this location and partnering with the City to open this space as a temporary place for asylum seekers as New York City continues to address this humanitarian crisis."
However, city representatives noted that more funds also need to be made available to the city to meet the costs of supporting and housing the more than 70,000 immigrants who have arrived in The Big Apple in recent months. According to Adams' calculations, the immigrant bill will exceed $4.3 billion, something "unsustainable" for the city's budget in the face of the Biden administration's passivity.
