New York City Mayor Eric Adams Announces Fifth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on January 21st, the city will soon be opening a fifth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center. The new relief center will be located at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and will serve as a temporary shelter for adult men arriving in the city as asylum-seeking migrants. The men who will be accommodated at the relief center will include newly arrived asylum seekers and some who will be moved from the Watson Hotel relief center. The site will accommodate close to 1,000 people. Necessities such as medicine, food, laundry, and reconnections will be provided. Assistance for the men to reach their destinations will be provided too. 

“With more than 41,000 asylum seekers arriving in New York City since last spring and nearly 28,000 asylum seekers currently in our care, our city is at its breaking point,” said Mayor Adams. “We continue to surpass both our moral and legal obligations and meet the needs of people arriving in New York, but as the number of asylum seekers continues to grow, we are in serious need of support from both our state and federal governments. This fifth Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center will provide approximately 1,000 asylum seekers with a place to stay, access support, and get to their final destination.”

New York City is still receiving asylum-seeking migrants and, while it is obligated to provide shelter to those that seek it, the city is facing multiple challenges. Mayor Adams has lamented the situation, requesting financial assistance from the federal government and even suggesting solutions of his own. While the reception of asylum seekers has not been fully perfect, the Adams Administration has endured.

“New York City will always remain a beacon of hope for those seeking a better life,” said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “The Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal will aid asylum seekers as they transition into American society. Our team will continue to work with our partners to find alternative ways to support this humanitarian crisis.”