Migrants slow to use Randall's Island housing facility

NEW YORK - Just a few asylum seekers have checked into the Randall's Island temporary 'welcome' shelter when it opened on Wednesday.

The site is only for single, adult men to stay for at least four days while the city processes them. 

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Those staying at the facility get three meals a day, a place to sleep and shower, and access to the internet and phones to connect with their families.

But the 84,000 square-foot facility has seen very limited use in its first two days, as New York City appears to be seeing a significant drop in migrant arrivals thanks to President Joe Biden's recent announcement that Venezuelan migrants cannot cross the border while their asylum requests are being processed.

Migrants also need a U.S. sponsor to vouch for them in order to come here. 

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One man from Venezuela who spoke to FOX 5 NY said that many migrants arriving in New York City want to move on to Miami, Boston or wherever else they have family, rather than staying.

Attorneys with the Legal Aid Scoiety also said the ‘Welcome’ center might not be so appealing for those who just finished a long, often dangerous journey to the United States. 

A majority of the migrants arriving in the city are families who are being relocated to the Row Hotel in Midtown for intake.