Could NYC migrants end up being housed at summer camps?

NEW YORK - With thousands of migrants arriving in New York City on buses from Texas, city officials are scrambling to find a place to house them.

Josh Goldfein with the Legal Aid Society says the New York City shelter system was already at capacity.

"Prior to the migrants coming there were already far too many people in the New York City shelter system," Goldfein says.

Now, City Limits reports that the city is considering using summer camps to house recently arrived immigrants.

Goldfein calls that a "crazy" idea.

"Places that are outside of the city would make it hard for people to get to appointments that they need to get to, to get to court, to get to medical services, and would require a lot of transportation for city staff as well for us and the clients," Goldfein says.

Related:  NYC officials claim Texas using wristbands to barcode migrants bused to city

The Department of Social Services responded to a request by FOX 5 News with a statement saying, "We are exploring every legal option for housing asylum seekers in New york City with high-quality shelter.  While summer camps are not currently an option, we would be open to considering similar options in the future, should they become necessary and that they follow all state regulations."

"We think that it will be challenging for the city to meet all of its legal obligations in a setting that is not winterized, that's not in New York City, that's not designed for long-term living," Goldfein says.

The city has been using hotels to help provide housing for the migrants since there is a lack of shelter space.  On Monday, dozens of families were moved into a hotel across from Central Park in Manhattan.

By law, New York City must provide a safe place to sleep for anyone who requests it.