Administration’s Asylum Seeker Management Strategies Have Helped Lead to 14 Straight Weeks of Shelter Census Declines, $2 Billion in Savings
Following February 28 Closure, NYC Parks to Restore Underlying Athletic Fields and Adjacent Parkland
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center on Randall’s Island will close at the end of February. Thanks to the administration’s successful advocacy for executive orders at the border — which have significantly reduced the rate at which asylum seekers are arriving in New York City — and the administration’s successful asylum seeker management strategies — including reticketing, case management, and 30- and 60-day notices — the number of asylum seekers in city shelters has decreased for 14 straight weeks and is now at its lowest point in over a year. The city has already begun to decrease capacity at Randall’s Island, taking down the largest residential tent structure (which held more than 750 cots) and returning one of the athletic fields to eventual community use following restoration. Over the coming months, the city will continue to gradually reduce the population on-site. Following the site’s closure in February, the city will invest in restoring the remaining impacted athletic fields and parkland.
“We’re not out of the woods yet, but make no mistake, thanks in large part to our smart management strategies and successful advocacy, we have turned the corner on this crisis,” said Mayor Adams. “We’re not scrambling every day to open new shelters — we’re talking about closing them. We’re not talking about how much we’re spending — we’re talking about how much we’ve saved. And thanks to today’s announcement, in a few months, we’ll be talking about how much we’re investing in restoring Randall’s Island’s incredible fields and parks for community use. I want to thank the Randall’s Island Park Alliance and every New Yorker who has partnered with us to manage this unprecedented influx of asylum seekers and make sure that our newest arrivals have the same opportunity that we all have to pursue the American Dream.”
“From the onset of this crisis, our primary objective as a city has been to respond compassionately and effectively to this humanitarian challenge. The ability to decompress the Randall’s Island humanitarian relief center over the summer and planned decommissioning of this site in the coming months demonstrates the effectiveness of our asylum seeker management strategies,” said Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “We extend our gratitude to the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for their partnership and support regarding this site.”
“Since the spring of 2022, we have had nearly a quarter million people come through our system in New York City,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Roughly seven in 10 of those seeking asylum have moved on to the next part of their journey, and today’s announcement is another step on our path through our humanitarian response. With 14 straight weeks of lower numbers of new arrivals seeking asylum, we are now able to transition from this large humanitarian relief center, which is a step in the right direction. Thank you to the teams that have been and continue to work as part of our humanitarian response. We look forward to additional steps in this next phase as they are appropriate given the need.”
"The ability to close the Randall’s Island humanitarian relief center marks the latest milestone we have reached as an administration addressing this humanitarian crisis,” said Mayor’s Office of Asylum Seeker Operations Molly Schaeffer. “It serves as a testament to the tireless effort of our teams and the commitment of community-based partners that have stepped up to help meet the needs of the over 218,000 individuals who have received services since the spring of 2022 — 70 percent of whom have moved on to the next steps in their journeys. New York City continues to lead in this unprecedented response, and this news helps show the world the tremendous progress we have made — and continue to make — every day. "
Since the first buses of asylum seekers arrived in 2022, New York City has continued to focus on building the structures needed to help migrants take their next steps towards self-sufficiency. The city’s Asylum Application Help Center — a first-in-the-nation entity — has helped complete more than 72,000 applications for work authorization, temporary protected status, and asylum. The city has also purchased 47,000 tickets to help migrants reach their preferred destinations and help reduce long-term costs for New York City taxpayers. Staff have also conducted over 630,000 case management sessions with migrants dedicated to helping them identify self-sufficient pathways out of city shelter, in addition to implementing the city’s 30- and 60-day notice policies. As a result, more than 158,000 migrants who requested services from the city have taken their next steps in their journeys towards self-sufficiency.
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