Caribbean asylum seekers find refuge in NYC’s new center

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled the establishment of two additional Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers, as the number of Caribbean and other asylum seekers under the city’s care exceeds 52,000.

According to city officials, a significant portion of the asylum seekers arriving from the southern border of the United States consists of Cubans, Haitians, and Venezuelans

Adams shared that the newly established humanitarian relief center will cater to over 330 families with children who are seeking asylum Furthermore, in the upcoming weeks, an additional emergency respite site is expected to provide support for approximately 1,400 adults

“New York City continues to receive thousands of asylum seekers each week, and we continue to do everything in our power to respond accordingly, but we are still in dire need of assistance from our state and federal partners,” Adams stated “The transition of these two emergency respite sites to humanitarian relief centers will provide, when combined, thousands of individuals with a range of services and help them reach their final destinations New York City is doing more than any other city or state to respond to this crisis, but we need others to step up and do their part as well,” Adams added

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom emphasized that the two newly established sites will enable the city to accommodate hundreds of families with children, as well as adults, as they settle in New York City or transition to their ultimate destinations

“As we continue to respond to this humanitarian crisis, we again call for the federal government to advance work authorizations for people seeking asylum and for the federal government to lead this humanitarian crisis with a national coordination strategy ”

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Philip Banks III, acknowledged that navigating this crisis has necessitated a significant allocation of resources and innovative approaches

“Despite the challenges facing the city, we have continued to do what’s right and open new humanitarian relief centers as needed to ensure asylum seekers’ health and safety ”

Since the commencement of this humanitarian crisis, Mayor Adams highlighted that the city has taken swift and urgent action, opening around 180 emergency shelters, including an additional 12 large-scale humanitarian relief centers