NYPD sweeps migrant tent at Randall's Island for drugs, weapons amid string of violence
RANDALL'S ISLAND (WABC) -- The NYPD cleared the migrant shelter on Randall's Island on Friday so they could do a sweep of the building after a string of recent violent incidents over the past two months.
They told the thousands of migrants who live there that they had to leave as officers went in looking for suspects and evidence connected to a number of cases.
The 3,000 residents stood outside for hours as officers searched for drugs and weapons.
Police say there has been an increase in quality of life complaints and an increase in violence surrounding the shelter and others.
Early Monday morning, a gunman opened fire on a crowd and killed a 44-year-old woman and injured two others.
And there were two other shootings earlier this month where investigators believe the victims may have been Venezuelan gang members.
One woman from Ecuador told Eyewitness News she had her suitcase stolen while she was sleeping. She also said there needs to be better security because outsiders who don't live there keep hopping over the fence and bypassing security.
Legal Aid released a statement saying they believe the sweep is unconstitutional:
"Temporarily displacing and conducting a police raid on 3,000 new arrivals despite today's heat advisory not only raises serious constitutional questions, but is draconian and fuels dangerous xenophobic sentiment," the statement said in part. "These actions just further compound the trauma our clients and other shelter residents have already endured both during their journeys to New York and in their home countries because of their sexual and gender identities, political affiliations, and otherwise."
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