New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the placement of a new Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center in Queens as the number of asylum seekers currently in the city’s care surpasses 56,200. In partnership with New York State, the city will construct and open a new humanitarian relief center in the parking lot adjacent to Creedmoor Psychiatric Center to serve up to 1,000 single adult men seeking asylum. New York state is providing this space and will reimburse the city for the associated costs of the site including construction, maintenance, and staffing. This humanitarian relief center will provide a range of services, in addition to ensuring asylum seekers can reach their desired destination, if not New York City.
“New York City continues to receive thousands of asylum seekers each week, and we have stepped up and led the nation, but this national crisis should not fall on cities alone to navigate. We need a national solution here,” said Mayor Adams. “We’re grateful to New York State for this support opening our newest humanitarian relief center as we continue to work to help asylum seekers reach their final destination. New York City needs additional support from all our partners to address this issue.”
“As we have consistently communicated, this is a humanitarian crisis unlike any in recent memory,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “New York City is continuing to find creative ways to support asylum seekers, but we know it is an unsustainable effort absent a national decompression strategy from the federal government. As we open this space as part of a temporary solution, we will continue to call on more support from all levels of government.”
“Throughout this crisis, we’ve had to balance an increasing need for assistance against finite resources," said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. "Still, the team has gone above and beyond in identifying new locations and getting these centers up and running. The city has done a phenomenal job in providing the necessary support for asylum seekers so they can continue on their journey.”
“NYC Health + Hospitals is committed to helping the city rise to the challenge of this unprecedented humanitarian crisis by providing asylum seekers the assistance they need to find a better life for themselves and their families,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, senior vice president, Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “The comprehensive on-site services offered at the Creedmoor humanitarian relief center will build upon the success of our work at our other humanitarian relief sites, which have helped thousands of asylum seekers complete their journeys. I am proud to be a part of the Adams administration that, in the absence of federal assistance, has mounted a monumental response to this crisis.”
“The opening of the newest Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center is a testament to New York City's resilience and our commitment to provide for those in need. While we mark this as a significant milestone, we also recognize the immense challenge ahead and we urgently call on our federal partners to bolster their commitment and meet their responsibility to support this effort,” said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “Financial support, policy change, and faster work authorizations for asylum seekers are necessary components of an effective response. The responsibility of addressing this critical matter should not rest on any single city.”
Since this humanitarian crisis began, New York City has taken fast and urgent action — opening over 190 emergency shelters, including 12 other large-scale humanitarian relief centers already, with a 13th relief center (not including the site at Creedmoor) set to open in the coming weeks. The city has also stood up navigation centers to connect asylum seekers with critical resources; enrolled thousands of children in public schools through Project Open Arms; launched the Asylum Application Help Center to help migrants with their asylum applications; and more. Earlier this spring, the city released “The Road Forward: A Blueprint to Address New York City’s Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis,” detailing how the city will continue to manage the influx of asylum seekers and advocate for support from federal and state partners.
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