Asylum seekers arrive by bus at former high school in College Point, Queens
NEW YORK -- A day after residents protested, buses brought asylum seekers to a former high school in College Point, Queens on Friday.
More buses are expected to arrive at the former Saint Agnes Academic High School through the weekend.
The facility will become a temporary shelter for asylum seekers for the next three months.
New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino said 300 asylum seekers, including women and families, will be sent there.
"I don't know what the answer is, but somebody has to come up with an answer to help these people," said Maria Kurtz, a College Point resident.
"There's a middle school right on the corner, which I work, and there's teenage girls there and it's not safe," another woman said.
Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams was in Washington, D.C. working to address the city's asylum seekers crisis.
I’d like to thank Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, Dean Nadler, and our state’s congressional delegation who invited me to today’s meeting with @SecMayorkas to discuss our city’s needs related to the asylum seeker crisis. We greatly appreciate the support delivered by our federal… pic.twitter.com/0DnYYZog5I
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) July 28, 2023
On social media, Adams said he had a productive meeting with federal lawmakers and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.