Foreign media: Will sanatoriums become immigration shelters? Residents of New York protest rally | Immigration | New York
On August 13th, according to comprehensive American media reports, residents of Staten Island in New York held a rally on August 12th local time to speak out about "transforming a local nursing home into an immigration shelter.".
According to CBS, this facility on Midland Beach on Staten Island was listed for sale in 2022, and residents were informed to move out. This sanatorium with 288 beds will be used as an immigration shelter, sparking protests.
According to Silive News, about 300 people held a rally that day. The proposal to convert sanatoriums into shelters is part of a ongoing immigration crisis. It is estimated that by July 2025, this crisis will cost New York City over $12 billion, and the city has already spent $1.45 billion.
According to abc7NY, local resident Sinclair said that transforming the nursing home into an immigration shelter was not a good idea. His mother had lived there before her death, "This place has provided us with a great temporary residence, and we are fortunate to have it."
Some residents also said, "We started taking care of our veterans, the homeless, and those with mental illnesses here 10 years ago."
Local councilor Carl and his colleagues wrote a letter to the leaders of New York City, requesting the cancellation of the plan to convert it into an immigration shelter.
"They expect the shelter to open in the autumn. By then, we don't know what will happen, nor do we know the exact numbers - how many immigrants it can accommodate, how many families with children. However, this community cannot afford the influx of a large number of immigrants," Karl said.
Currently, an immigration crisis is unfolding in New York. New York City Mayor Adams stated in early August that about 100000 immigrants have flooded into the city since the spring of 2022, and over 57000 asylum seekers are receiving care from the city. He stated that New York City no longer has enough space and advised immigrants not to seek refuge.
According to Silive News, there are currently 198 emergency shelters in New York, including 13 large-scale humanitarian emergency rescue and response centers. Adams recently stated that if the higher-level government does not take action to resolve the crisis, it will have to establish more and more immigration shelters in "less than ideal" locations.