Outcry as city moves migrants from hotel to Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
HELL'S KITCHEN, Manhattan (WABC) -- There was outcry Sunday night as the city started moving migrants out of the Watson Hotel in Hell's Kitchen.
Mayor Eric Adams announced a week ago plans to set up a one thousand-bed facility in Brooklyn for the migrants. This weekend, they began moving men there - but not without controversy.
Desperation and fear spilled out onto West 57th Street outside the hotel as the migrants housed at the location were getting on yet another bus.
Eyewitness News is told they are being transferred to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook, where cots have been set up - except they do not want to go.
Pedro Duran, originally from Venezuela, arrived in New York in mid-October. He was already bussed to Brooklyn but said it was so cold, he came back to the Watson.
"It's not humane. This is not how you treat human beings. They want to go back to their rooms at the Watson Hotel. This is their home right now," said volunteer Meryl Ranzer.
According to Mayor Adams' spokesperson, the plans are to 'transition the hotel to meet the large number of asylum-seeking families with children.'
New York City says more than 42,000 asylum-seekers have arrived in New York City. More keep coming, and resources are already over-stretched.
Volunteer advocates argue the city should put these migrants in some of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the world. That begs the question of who would pay for those billion-dollar apartments.
City Hall insists the facilities at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal will provide the same services as every other humanitarian relief center in the city and that families with children will need a home, too.
City Hall blames outside agitators for causing a scene in Hell's Kitchen on Sunday night, but certainly, there are no easy answers.
ALSO READ | NYPD addresses backlash over viral video of officers taken after Drake concert at the Apollo
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
