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NYC to offer asylum seekers hotel rooms in Rockland and Orange counties,
angering some locals
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NYC TO OFFER ASYLUM SEEKERS HOTEL ROOMS IN ROCKLAND AND ORANGE COUNTIES,
ANGERING SOME LOCALS



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By
Elizabeth Kim

Published May 5, 2023

Modified May 6, 2023

1 comment

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By
Elizabeth Kim

Published May 5, 2023

Modified May 6, 2023

1 comment

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New York City will offer to start sending single adult men seeking asylum to two
hotels in Rockland and Orange counties, a plan that is already meeting fierce
resistance from officials in those areas.

In a press release late Friday, Mayor Eric Adams said the hotel program would be
voluntary. The city intends to house migrants for up to four months and provide
them with the same city-funded services – such as food, bedding and healthcare –
delivered by the emergency response centers in New York City.

But it’s unclear how many migrants would be interested in relocating for four
months to a smaller community with fewer job opportunities and a less robust
public transit system.

On Friday afternoon, officials at the Rockland County Department of Social
Services issued an angry statement opposing Adam’s plan.

“This is absurd, and we will not stand for it,” said Ed Day, the Rockland County
executive. “There is nothing humanitarian about a sanctuary city sending
busloads of people to a county that does not have the infrastructure to care for
them. It’s the same as throwing them in the middle of the ocean with nowhere to
swim.”

In the press release, Rockland County officials said Adams had called a town
supervisor early Friday and informed them of a plan to send migrants “with few
other details aside from they’ll be housed in a local hotel.”



They said officials later learned that the city intended to house about 340
adult men in an Orangeburg hotel called Armoni Inn and Suite.

Advocates for the homeless have been critical of the city’s handling of the
issue. They say the mayor has not done enough to address the shortage of
affordable housing. The city’s homeless population has soared under Adams.

“The city is struggling to meet its legal obligation to comply with local law
and multiple court orders to ensure shelter for anyone in need, asylum seekers
included,” said Joshua Goldfein, a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society.

He urged city officials to provide more assistance to help those currently in
city shelters to transition to permanent housing, a move that would presumably
free up more space to accommodate new arrivals.

More than 60,8000 migrants have come to New York City since last spring,
according to the latest count by city officials. Roughly 37,500 are still
receiving shelter and services.

Murad Awawdeh, executive director of New York Immigration Coalition, said the
mayor’s plan to house asylum seekers in Rockland and Orange counties “does
nothing more than put band-aids on an over-stretched shelter system, keeping
everyone in limbo even longer.”



Adams has increasingly expressed his frustration with the Biden administration
over the lack of funding for the migrant crisis, which city officials say could
cost more than $4 billion over the next two years.

The news of the plan to send migrants outside the city comes on the same day
that federal officials announced $30 million in funding for migrant assistance.
The city had initially applied for $350 million in emergency funds.

A spokesperson for the mayor said the federal funding was not enough.

“This is both disappointing and woefully insufficient for a city that has
carried the cost of sheltering, feeding, and supporting more than 60,000 asylum
seekers in the last year,” said Fabien Levy, the mayor’s press secretary. “New
Yorkers have stepped up tremendously throughout this crisis and we look forward
to working closely with our congressional delegation to remedy this serious
mistake.”

This story has been updated with comment from Murad Awawdeh.



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Elizabeth Kim


Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral
power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public
spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email
elkim@nypublicradio.org or Signal 347-677-3845.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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