Migrants Play Game Of Cat & Mouse Under Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
Shortly after law enforcement and Sanitation workers dispersed a makeshift migrant tent city under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, even more migrants returned to live there.
Around 15 migrants resumed al fresco living on Saturday, stating that it felt safer than the Bronx shelter where some of them were relocated the previous day. A 36-year-old Peruvian migrant shared that the Bronx shelter, specifically 47 Hall Street, was worse than the original location due to reports of dangerous situations, such as brawls, people with weapons, and engaging in substance use.
After being removed from the Hall Street shelter, the migrants set up three tents, a large tarp, and multiple mattresses amidst parked vehicles under the BQE.
Although they preferred not to live in the encampment, they deemed it better than the shelters provided. This sentiment was echoed by other migrants, with dozens reportedly resorting to drinking and smoking in a nearby children’s playground and lingering in the surrounding streets, according to Clinton Hill residents.
The tent city was briefly cleared on Friday, following concerns raised about the “new normal” being created by the city’s 60-day shelter stay limit for single adult migrants. According to City Hall’s latest data, more than 54,800 asylum seekers are currently staying at 188 emergency shelter sites established to accommodate the surge in migrants.
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