Influx of children of asylum seekers means "everything changes," Mayor Adams says
NEW YORK - Many of the asylum seekers arriving recently are families with small children.
In fact, Mayor Eric Adams said 30% of the current asylum seekers are children.
Adams said this new trend of young asylum seekers changes everything from shelter options to schooling requirements, further supporting his argument that New York City is at a breaking point.
As more busloads of asylum seekers pulled into Port Authority Bus Terminal Wednesday morning, one thing was clear: More and more of those seeking refuge in our city are children.
While the city is opening additional mass shelters for single adults, families with small children require different accommodations.
"Everything changes. We can't use the congregate settings because you have to protect children. You can't have them lined up on the sidewalk like we saw with the single adult males. You have to make sure they're in school and have all the school supplies. So it's just an entire new dynamic," Adams said.
Adams said 18,000 children seeking asylum are enrolled in New York City schools. With the recent influx of families, he expects the number to grow. He said more teachers are need, especially those who speak multiple languages.
Dr. Jacques Jiha, the city's budget director, said student enrollment isn't slowing down.
"I cannot tell you for sure how many kids we're going to have by September," Jiha said. "Given the change in composition, to more families, we're expecting that number to grow."
CBS New York has learned families with children are being housed at the swanky Redbury Hotel in the Flatiron District. The hotel's website posted a notice announcing reservations are no longer being accepted, but people can still dine at the two high end restaurants on the property.
Sources told CBS New York the nearby Nomad Hotel is also an option for families, as Adams remains committed to prioritizing the youngest asylum seekers.
"We always have to be conscious of families with children. We never want to place our children in harm's way, asylum seekers or longstanding New Yorkers, and we're committed to that. But our topline goal is to never have families with children sleeping on the streets," Adams said.
We've reached out to the Department of Education for specifics on how they plan handle a potential influx of new students next month, but haven't heard back yet.