Eric Adams suggests housing migrants in a closed prison.

New York City Considers Housing Migrants in Closed Down Prison

New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently discussed the possibility of housing migrants in a closed down Hudson Valley prison during a call with county officials. The city has housed over 65,000 asylum-seekers in the past year and is in desperate need of support from surrounding counties as the number of migrants arriving in the city continues to rise. Adams stated that “nothing is off the table” and that the city is open to alternative locations.

Other Possible Locations

The Mayor’s office is also looking into a former military airfield, a psychiatric center, and various warehouses as potential locations to house migrants. An Adams spokesperson defended the Mayor’s position, stating that the city has run out of housing space and is looking at any solution that would help.

Criticism from Fellow Democrats

However, the comments made by Adams have been met with criticism from fellow city Democrats. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander stated that the prison should not be an option and that “some things should be off the table.”

Heavy Criticism from Republicans

The city administration had started moving migrants out of the city and into surrounding communities. However, this move was met with heavy criticism from Republicans from surrounding counties who claimed that there was no communication and no plan in place for when the migrants arrived. Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, a Republican, stated that he was led to believe that the bussing of migrants into Orange County was halted and that he would no longer cooperate.

Governor Hochul’s Efforts

Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) stated that she has been working on finding facilities across the state to be able to house and help asylum-seekers get jobs. She has been looking at state properties and has talked with the federal government about federal properties to stand up more sites.

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