NYC Mayor Adams to set up 'tent city' to deal with the influx of migrants

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday plans to set up large tents to operate as intake centers and housing for hundreds of migrants arriving in the city every day.  

The “Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers” aim to provide assistance to the arriving individuals and ensure that their basic needs are covered.

“Humanitarian relief centers will become the first touch point for arriving asylum seekers, helping people by immediately offering shelter, food, medical care, casework services, and a range of settlement options,” said a statement from the mayor’s office.

The new centers will provide cots for the incoming migrants to provide relief to the city's overcrowded shelter system, although the statement did not say how many. However, the mayor’s office did specify that there will be different shelters for single adults and migrants who come with their families.

“More than 100 years ago, Ellis Island opened its doors to welcome in those ‘yearning to breathe free.’ Now, more than ever, it’s clear that we are again dealing with a humanitarian crisis created by human hands. While other leaders have abdicated their moral duty to support arriving asylum seekers, New York City refuses to do so,” said Mayor Adams.

"This emergency response represents what we know must be done during this humanitarian crisis, as we continue to seek assistance from our federal and state partners to continue this work. Like the generations that came to our city before, New York will provide the thousands now coming to our city with the foundation to build a better life,” the mayor continued.

The first emergency tent center will be set up at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, where the migrants are expected to spend between one and four days in the facility.