Mayor Eric Adams says proposed migrant shelter at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal will be heated space
NEW YORK -- Mayor Eric Adams is pushing back against criticism from two nonprofits about his plans for a new migrant shelter in Brooklyn, and he is amplifying his calls for more help from the federal government.
CBS2 spoke to the mayor about the influx of asylum seekers earlier Sunday.
"We are faced with a humanitarian crisis," Adams said.
At City Hall, the mayor defended his plan to open a shelter for 1,000 migrants at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.
"There are some calls there's going to be tents inside. That's just not true. It's going to be a heated, well-run space where we've been successful at doing and were going to continue to do," Adams said.
However, the nonprofits Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless say their concerns about the site still stand. They're worried about flood risks in the area, as noted on the city's own flood hazard map. The nonprofits say the location will expose migrants to the elements during some of the coldest months of the year.
"We're going to use this space," Adams said.
The mayor's team said the heated shelter will be indoors and fully enclosed. Adams also said the city is exploring locations for more shelters.
"We are in conversations with the federal government to utilize federally controlled spaces in the New York state area that were going to continue to build out," Adams said.
According to the city, about 41,000 asylum seekers have arrived here since the spring.
One man asked CBS2 not to use his name because he says he fled Venezuela due to safety concerns amid political turmoil. He arrived in New York City about five months ago after trekking through the Darien Gap, one of the world's most dangerous migration routes.
He said he saw a lot of people dying along the way, including people who drowned, but he pushed through because he wanted a better life. He now says he is working construction and paying for his own apartment in Brooklyn.
"We are still seeing large numbers that are coming," Adams said.
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Flanked by immigration advocates from across the city, the mayor called on the federal government to appoint someone to build a strategy to spread migrants out and alleviate the influx in cities like New York.
When asked if he spoke with anyone in the Biden administration during his trip to Washington about the issues and requests, Adams said, "Yes, we met with a member of the White House in a closed-door meeting with other mayors."
Adams went on to say he believes the White House understands the crisis. However, it has not publicly responded to his request to appoint someone to oversee the migrants issue.