More protests on Staten Island over emergency housing for asylum seekers
STATEN ISLAND - Once again, a large crowd gathered in front of the former St. John Villa Academy on Staten Island Tuesday to protest the use of the building as an emergency housing facility for asylum seekers.
Over the past year, New York City has grappled with an influx of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers, a trend that shows no signs of abating.
"I realize it's a sanctuary city, but there has to be a limit to our compassion," remarked one protestor, Michele Rubin.
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Without papers or permits to work, many migrants rely on food delivery work to help provide for their families.
The numbers are staggering, with over 100,000 migrants having arrived in New York City since last year.
In response to Tuesday's protest, a spokesperson for the Mayor's office told FOX 5 NY:
"New Yorkers are tired from bearing the brunt of this national crisis, and we empathize with their concerns. We have opened more than emergency sites, including 15 large-scale humanitarian relief centers, and are constantly searching for new places to provide the more than 60,000 asylum seekers in our care and the thousands coming every week with the shelter they are asking for. But let’s be clear: The sites we are now finding are the only options left. This situation demands a broader state and national solution."