NYC Suspends Right-To-Shelter Rules Transcript

Now breaking news, Mayor Adams says he’s temporarily suspending the city’s right-to-shelter rules, just as COVID immigration restrictions at the border are set to expire tonight.

The move comes as the city struggles to house the growing number of asylum seekers coming to the area. CBS2’s Zinnia Maldonado joins us live from City Hall with more on this, Zinnia.

Well, Chris and Mary, the city says they have provided care for more than 61,000 asylum seekers over the last year. And over the past few days, the city has seen upwards of 500 people arrive each day. Now, Mayor Adams ending yesterday, the city’s obligation to find housing for these asylum seekers as he continues to call for more state and federal funding.

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In the wake of Title 42, the pandemic era law limiting the number of immigrants entering the United States, expiring today, Mayor Eric Adams, signing an emergency executive order late Wednesday, suspending the city’s right to shelter rules that immediately find private rooms for asylum seekers. The decision comes as the city now anticipates upwards of 800 new asylum seekers to arrive each day. A spokesperson for the mayor stating in part, “With over 130 emergency sites and eight humanitarian relief centers already opened, we have reached our limit. In an effort to mitigate those risks and find room within our shelter system, the city has temporarily suspended the policy surrounding timing for placements in shelters. Governor Hochul now stepping in.

I’m Working very closely with the mayor to identify more sites that we can welcome these individuals. They’re human beings. They deserve to be treated with dignity, but also we’re going to have a capacity issue, so we’re going to be needing to look other places as well.

The influx expected as the COVID era Title 42 ends was confirmed by the 10,000 migrants processed along the southern border Tuesday. Among the new arrivals, Jonathan Gomez, of Venezuela, who tracked across six countries and shared video of the dangerous journey.

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“We had to cross rivers filled with snakes and crocodiles”, he says, now in Brownsville, Texas. It’s where Texas National Guard troops in riot gear arrived Wednesday, ordered by Texas Republican Governor, who has criticized the Biden Administration’s response and has also bused thousands of asylum seekers to New York City, where they have already filled 120 shelters. As a result, the city search for more housing continues.

We should not be, after a year and a half later, thinking about where do we have locations that we can house asylum seekers. When we knew that this is a city that is a sanctuary city, we would be continuing to welcome asylum asylum seekers, especially in the wake of Title 42 ending.

And in response to Title 42 ending later this afternoon, some immigration advocates and elected officials plan to hold a rally here outside City Hall. We’re live this morning from Lower Manhattan, Zinnia Maldonado, CBS2 News.

Zinnia, thank you-