Migrants massed in an impromptu camp outside a Midtown hotel stepped up their criticism of the mass shelter the city has planted in Red Hook, Brooklyn, on Tuesday, saying it does not meet the needs of asylum seekers and that they don’t want to go.
Some migrants agreed to tour the Red Hook facility on Tuesday, but returned to the Watson Hotel unconvinced, one migrant said.
Advertisement
The city had hoped the new Brooklyn relief center, housed in a cruise terminal warehouse in remote Red Hook, would provide precious shelter to some 1,000 migrant men who had been living at the Watson Hotel on W. 57th St. in Hell’s Kitchen.
But many of the men would prefer to sleep on the cold Manhattan cement outside the hotel than relocate to the waterfront shelter, concerned that the accommodations at the warehouse are lacking. Dozens of migrants laid on the sidewalk outside the Watson on Tuesday, wrapped in donated clothing and blankets but many still shivering in the cold.
Advertisement
“We are standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters,” Carl Garrison, a minister at the Manhattan Church of Christ, said at a news conference at which several advocates spoke out about the conditions.
Migrants moved to the shelter in Red Hook would be left to sleep on rows of cots and would be forced to go outside to use the bathroom, Garrison said.
“To me that’s not a dignified way to live,” he said.
The shelter, which opened over the weekend, has about 85 to 90 toilets inside, and temperature-controlled showers in trailers outside, said Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Mayor Adams.
Migrants that refused to move to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal are pictured outside the Watson Hotel on 57th Street and 9th Avenue early Tuesday morning. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)
The city has handled a massive influx of migrants in recent months, pushing the city’s shelter system to a breaking point. At a press conference less than two miles from the hotel where migrants are sleeping on the street, President Biden touted federal spending on a new rail tunnel under the Hudson river, but did not address Adams’ continuing pleas for additional federal resources.
This latest chapter started when officials began implementing a plan to move the men from the Watson and repurpose the hotel to host asylum-seeking families with children. Migrants returned from the facility, saying it was inadequate, and began camping on the street outside the hotel as they’d already lost their rooms.
Video from the shelter has shown tightly organized rows of cots. The layout appears to mirror a controversial migrant tent Adams’ administration opened briefly on Randalls Island last year.
Adams said Monday that the shelter was warm and had healthy food.
Advertisement
“Even the snacks are healthy — we just need to stop the anxiety,” Adams said in a video posted by his office on Twitter.
But many migrants seemed unconvinced, and concerned about the conditions in Brooklyn.
“We’re not here just because we want to protest — we’re here because we want dignified places to stay,” said Keyder Escalona, a 28-year-old migrant from Venezuela. “That’s what we’re asking for.”
Migrants that stayed overnight inside the Watson Hotel are seen moving their belongs to buses and heading to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on Tuesday. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)
Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
After the news conference, City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, a Brooklyn Democrat, expressed frustration with the city’s efforts to communicate with migrants about the Red Hook shelter.
“One of the big failures of this moment is that the lack of information is creating a level of fear that these folks are being shuffled to the Brooklyn Cruise terminal, that they are getting picked up by ICE or that they are going to be detained,” Hanif said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
She added that she also opposes the accommodations provided in Red Hook.
Advertisement
At one point on Tuesday afternoon, two ambulances and a fire truck pulled up, and a migrant man was wheeled out of the hotel on a stretcher. He didn’t speak but was conscious, and it was unclear how he was hurt or what happened.
Migrants at Midtown hotel double down to fight move to Mayor Adams’ Red Hook shelter site
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on Sports World Hails ‘Superwoman’ Lindsey Vonn for Her Grand Comeback Despite Career-Changing Injury
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on ‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’ Fan Theories Suggest Legendary Time Travel, Alternate Dimension Plot
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on Inside the Michael Jordan ‘Air’ movie, plus why NFL, others are buying into the sports film industry
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on How Does Jack Nicklaus Travel? Exploring the Private Jets Owned by the ‘Golden Bear’ Over the Years
on Hollywood Reporter: Tom Cruise negotiated with movie studios over AI before the actors strike began
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on Dozens of boats cruise the Seine in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on July 26
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer