'We are going with faith' - Family of Venezuelan migrants seeks shelter as NYC struggles to handle influx
NEW YORK - A young family from Venezuela calls the Row Hotel in Manhattan home. They are just one of many families who have done so since New York City established it as a designated shelter for the almost 150,000 migrants who have come to New York City since last spring.
The family, who has lived in the hotel for months, was recently given a 60-day notice to vacate. The notice comes after the city announced it would be imposing restrictions including limits on shelter stays because of the immense number of asylum seekers and migrants making up what officials have called a crisis.
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"A little worried," the patriarch of the family told FOX 5 NY. But the young husband and father says that the uncertainty is overshadowed by his long-term vision.
"My future … good things for my children. Stability and tranquility," he said.
NYC migrants facing challenges after arriving in US | Migrants in America
Gabriel Diaz and his family left Venezuela, a nation which, for years, has been plunged in a political, economic and humanitarian crisis.
The children, ages 3 and 6, were with their mother and father as they traveled through several countries before crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. New York City was always their intended destination.
"Here, we hear they will help us," the father said referring to why many migrants and asylum seekers choose the city as their destination.
RELATED: Venezuelan family finds hope amid uncertainty
According to city officials, almost 150,000 migrants have come to New York City since last spring, fueled by their own versions of the American Dream.
But while many Venezuelans apply for asylum in the United States, immigration matters are complicated and can take a lot of time.
"I am waiting for the work papers," the father said.
While he waits, their immediate future feels uncertain, but he says it’s worth it. Even though he and his wife can’t make a living right now and have no idea where they will rest their heads next, he knows their boys will have a different childhood and more opportunities than they did.
"We are going with faith," he says.
For years, countless migrants and asylum seekers have made the dangerous and illegal journey into the United States. Now, in unprecedented numbers, they are seeking refuge in New York City. The situation has created a humanitarian crisis. In FOX 5 NY’s "Migrants In America: In Their Own Words," asylum seekers explain how the pursuit of the American dream has made uncertainty their reality.