Thousands of asylum seekers wait in lines to be placed back into New York City shelters
NEW YORK -- Thousands of asylum seekers are reaching their 30-day limits at shelters across New York City, and many have been lining up in the cold so they can be placed back into new shelters.
Volunteers emptied out bags of fruit they passed out to asylum seekers waiting in line outside the former Saint Brigid School in the East Village.
"There has to be a better plan than this," Assemblymember Harvey Epstein said.
Epstein's office is across the street from the line, which he says has grown over the last month and a half from hundreds to thousands a day as the city is out of space to house migrants. Epstein has donated jackets and winter gear in his office, ready to give away.
"We talk to the city every day and they know it's a problem. We want them to have a backup center so you could have people waiting, but they don't have to wait outside in the cold," Epstein said.
Single adult asylum seekers come to the site to be placed into new city shelters after their 30-day limit expires, some carrying all the belongings they own.
As of Wednesday, one man had more than 9,600 people waiting in line ahead of him for a room. He said in Spanish he will have to wait about two weeks to get a room. Others are concerned about the winter storm this weekend.
"I'm worried, I'm worried this weekend ... It's so freezing now. It's freezing," one person said. "First time in snow."
Some neighbors came Friday with items to donate to Epstein's office.
"I'm giving shoes, gloves, socks, a bathrobe," neighbor Paula Ewin said.
Advocates worry for those who come as early as 4 a.m. to wait in line.
"We're concerned people are gonna freeze to death. We're concerned people are gonna do what it takes to wait in line for their appointments and have to deal with their biological needs at this point," said Sergio Uzurin, a spokesperson with New York City ICE Watch.
Mammad Mahmood with the nonprofit EVLovesNYC has been handing out food to asylum seekers, concerned for their well-being.
"All their clothes are gonna be soaking wet, all their life and belongings, all their documents that are these pieces of paper their asylum paper in their hand, they might lose that and then that's gonna upend their lives," he said.
EVLovesNYC plans to give out warm drinks and food this weekend, in hopes of making the stormy conditions more bearable
