New York has unveiled its new tent shelter for the city’s growing migrant population, complete with XBoxes, big-screen televisions, and couches.
The Randall’s Island Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center is set to temporarily house up to 500 single men bused from southern border states.
The location features 500 cots, along with television, video games, board games, telephone services, and three meals per day, along with snacks and coffee for those who stay at the location.
“The meals are all culturally appropriate — it is South American fare,” Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol told reporters on Wednesday.
Other assistance at the new facility includes laundry services, showers, and lockers for migrants to store personal items. Bus services are also expected at the location, with 24-hour security provided.
The new amenities may make it difficult to encourage some of the migrant men to leave, with some speculating that the guests could be living better than many legal residents in New York City.
Omg. The criminal migrants live better than people in NYC https://t.co/UOHSjxgKLy
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 20, 2022
Democrat Mayor Eric Adams, who declared a state of emergency due to the arrival of migrants, ordered the establishment of the site. The change was made to relocate the temporary shelter to Randall’s Island from Orchard Beach in the Bronx after concerns about flooding.
According to FOX 5, it cost $325,000 to move the shelters and another $325,000 to set them up again.
As of last week, the city claims at least 18,600 asylum seekers have entered the city. The Randall’s Island site serves as just one of many responses to house the growing number of migrants.
In addition, a temporary humanitarian relief center has been set up at the Row NYC Hotel in midtown Manhattan to initially house 200 families, potentially serving additional families in the weeks ahead. A statement by Adam last week also noted that 46 hotels citywide have served as emergency shelters.
New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has activated National Guard members to help staff the new location. A unit of 100 reservists was mobilized for deployment earlier this month.
“The National Guard will provide logistical and operational support to the city’s relief center once it is ready to open,” Hochul spokesman Avi Small said, according to reporting by the New York Post.
Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed earlier this month that the company has been in discussions with New York City to house migrants relocating to the city, though no official decision has yet been made.
“The chartering of cruise ships to companies, government entities and other organizations for various uses is a standard business practice across our industry,” a spokesperson for the Norwegian Cruise Line said.
“While we can confirm that New York City has approached us about a potential charter of a cruise vessel, no agreement has been reached and we cannot speculate about the outcome of any ongoing business discussions,” the spokesperson added.
