New York’s Staten Island — When New York City will close a Staten Island migrant shelter that has provoked neighborhood fury and several protests, one of the borough’s state lawmakers wants answers.
Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) questioned Mayor Eric Adams about the city’s plans to close the city-run shelter at the old Island Shores senior living facility in Midland Beach during a Tuesday Joint Legislative Budget Hearing in Albany.
Today, Mr. Mayor, I would want to know when that location will close. Note that I’m not asking you whether or not that place will close. Mr. Mayor, I would want to know when that place will close and the neighborhood will be at peace. “Tannousis said.”
Adams has already declared plans to close more than 30 shelters around the five boroughs, including the one at the Holiday Inn Express off Wild Avenue in Travis. The inquiry comes as the city is stepping up its response to the current immigration crisis.
Since the first night it opened in September 2023, the Midland Beach shelter has been the focus of numerous demonstrations.
When the shelter was established, the neighborhood was in a frenzy. “There was a very strong bipartisan effort to show our discontent for that location,” Tannousis said, adding that the community was angry over the lack of notice and the communication breakdown between the Mayor’s Office and the local elected authorities.
Adams stated that the city will try to close the shelter as soon as possible but was unable to give a specific closing date.
As quickly as possible, we would like to close that place. Adams stated, “We’re going to try to close as many as possible.” We closed that site jointly, so we look forward to the day when you and I stand in front of it.
The mayor reminded Tannousis that although the administration was burdened with this problem and did its best to address it, he appreciated the difficulties expressed by Staten Islanders.
No elected authority that I could find held out their hand and said, “Hey, Eric, put the shelter here.” Not one. Adams remarked, “I had to put it somewhere.” The Legal Aid Society’s lawsuits required us to do this. We had to house people within a set amount of time, and this team worked till four or five in the morning, doing their best work.
Throughout the migrant crisis, the Adams administration has insisted that Staten Island has been housing between 1% and 2% of the city’s migrants.
Protests at Island Shores
On September 19, 2023, the migrants, packed into an out-of-service MTA bus, arrived at the scene to be met by some 1,000 anti-migrant shelter demonstrators, some of whom lived off-Island.
Four migrants who were present at the rally described their horrifying experience to the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com, describing how it made them worry for their life.
As they blocked the bus’s exits and threw American flags on the windows, protesters surrounded the bus and chanted, “Send them back.”
One immigrant stated that while it’s acceptable for individuals to express their emotions and differences, it’s not acceptable when a nonviolent protest devolves into violence.
Another person added that it was quite traumatic. My husband believed that we would be killed. We simply assumed the worst.
Ten demonstrators had been arrested before the end of the day; nine of them had been summoned for disorderly behavior, and one had been arrested and charged with five offenses, including assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
The demonstrations continued after that.
After almost a month, a tiny but vociferous group of obstinate protestors periodically assembled outside the shelter at night in what seemed to be an attempt to disturb the migrant inmates’ sleep and beg them to leave Staten Island.
In a social media video, a few demonstrators were seen blowing megaphones outside the shelter and shining bright lights through the windows.
One protester was heard yelling, “You all thought you were going to bed, illegal aliens?” Now, every night you get three hots, a cot, loud music, and flashlights.
They will be unable to relax if we are unable to. “That’s it,” the demonstrator continued.
Reporters from Advance/SILive.com visited the Island Shores shelter and observed about 30 demonstrators entering and leaving the building while blaring music, waving American flags, and flashing lights on the migrant occupants and through the windows.
In an attempt to create as much noise as they could, other demonstrators were beating on pots, metal signposts, and police barricades while blowing whistles.
The words “Our borough” were displayed on a sizable sign at the site. Our choice. Prioritize America.
Speaking on the ongoing protests, the migrants told Advance/SILive.com that they hoped the demonstrators would give them an opportunity to demonstrate that they came here merely to seek a better life and that they had good intentions.
These demonstrations are becoming frightening and morphing into racism and discrimination. One shelter resident stated, “We wish people would give us the opportunity to show who we are.”
Another resident remarked, “There’s a human side to it.” Learn more about us; we’re here to help. We are undergoing the legal procedure. All we want is for people to recognize the human factor.
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