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Asylum seekers line up outside full shelter
Despite the long lines, many are still happy to be in the U.S. – but not all, as FOX 5's Christine Russo reports.
NEW YORK - Luis and Bryan were just two of the dozens of asylum seekers outside the Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan today, hoping to be placed in a shelter somewhere in the city.
Bryan is from Venezuela. He says he’s been here for three months but hasn’t been able to find work.
Now, he tells FOX 5 NY, if he could go back to his country today, he would.
But 26-year-old Miguel from Ecuador is different. He says he ran from his country and doesn’t want to go back. Ecuador, he says, has become inundated with cartels.
Here, he wants to finish his degree in business administration, above all, for his 2-year-old daughter, Alani, who is still in Ecuador. His court date is this November.
Roosevelt Hotel reaches full capacity as asylum seekers line up outside in Midtown
As NYC faces growing pressure to expand its shelter system, it relies on vacant hotels to help those that need a place to stay. Now, the Roosevelt Hotel that once welcomed migrants is forced to close it's doors due to capacity.
Other asylum seekers from all over the world also wait their turn.
Jorge Rangel, with the Consulate General of Mexico, handed out information for those sitting on the sidewalk. He’s here to help those fleeing for political reason, and to facilitate working papers.
He says even though there isn’t a huge Mexican population here, they are there to help everyone who needs it.
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Roosevelt Hotel relief center for asylum seekers is at capacity
Dozens of asylum seekers are lined up outside of the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown, waiting to be placed at a shelter. The humanitarian relief center for asylum seekers is at capacity when it comes to bed space, and it has been for a while according to officials.
The mayor’s office says the city’s shelters have been at capacity for months and sights like the Roosevelt Hotel might be the "new norm" for New Yorkers while the city figures out their next steps.
In the meantime, they say they desperately need funding from the federal government and they are discouraging migrants and asylum seekers from coming here.