Migrant thanks White House for $20M-a-month NYC shelter: ‘Gracias, presidente’
A migrant surveying his spacious new digs at the $20 million-a-month mega-tent city on Randall’s Island had a message for President Biden Monday: “Gracias, Presidente.”
Five tents have been set up on youth soccer fields on the remote Manhattan island to accommodate thousands of migrants from the US Southern border — where more are still pouring in every day through open gates in Arizona. Arriving asylum-seekers are treated to a meal, a cot, urgent medical care, bathroom facilities and bus service into Manhattan.
One migrant offered heartfelt thanks to the Biden administration: “Gracias, Presidente,” he told ABC7 Monday.
But Biden, who has seen an unprecedented surge of migrants crossing the southern border since taking office, has done little to help the Big Apple — one of their top destinations.
New York City has gotten a mere $140 million in federal aid, with the Department of Homeland Security offering a paltry “liaison” to help tackle the humanitarian crisis — despite Mayor Adams’ repeated warnings that the cost to care for asylum-seekers in the city could balloon to $12 billion over three years.
The city has been forced to use public-space areas like Randall’s Island to erect pricey tents, paid for by the state. The sprawling park, mostly used for sports and recreation, was prepared to house 2,000 migrants — until City Hall abruptly announced over the weekend that it had been expanded to 3,000.
One migrant said Monday that he came to New York for job opportunities that he’s found through WhatsApp and Facebook groups.
“The opportunities are in Miami and New York,” said Alexander Blanco, a 25-year-old IT worker from Venezuela. “I came from Manhattan, a shelter in Manhattan by sitting on a bus for four days from Texas.
“I’ve been working three days a week cleaning houses in Manhattan,” Blanco said. “There are many groups that help you find work here. There are many groups that offer jobs to Latinos here.”
The tents were erected just south of Icahn Stadium, and next to the site where Adams set up an emergency migrant shelter last year — only to dismantle the underutilized facility weeks later.
City officials said about 100,000 migrants seeking asylum had been bused to the five boroughs since the spring of last year, with nearly 60,000 currently under city supervision.
Gov. Hochul said earlier this month that the state was picking up the tab for the Randall’s Island shelter, to the tune of about $20 million every month. On Monday, Hochul said the White House did finally agree to lease Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to house even more migrants.
