OAN's Brooke Mallory
10:56am – Wednesday, January 10, 2024
This week, nearly 2,000 undocumented immigrants were ordered to evacuate large tent shelters as a major storm approached the Big Apple, and students at a Brooklyn high school were forced to vacate classrooms as migrants took over school space. I was forced to do completely remote classes.
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Authorities moved some of the migrants from the shelter to a second-floor gymnasium at James Madison High School, eight miles away. [the] A large migrant tent at Floyd Bennett Field could collapse due to heavy rain and winds. ”
However, the last-minute decision was not well received by neighbors and parents at the school.
“This is terrible,” said a local resident who called himself “Rob.” “It's a litmus test. They're using a legitimate situation with a storm to try this out. I guarantee you they'll be here all summer.”
“There are 1,900 people thrown into a neighborhood half a block away from where I live, and I don't know who they are,” he continued. “They're not vetted. A lot of them have criminal records and backgrounds, and we don't even know that.”
As the migrants arrived in a convoy of school buses in the pouring rain just before 6 p.m., an irate mother threw a tantrum at them.
“How are you feeling? Does it feel good?” asked a woman who identified herself as “Michelle.” “How does it feel to get all the kids out of school tomorrow? Does it feel good? I hope you feel better. I hope you sleep well tonight!”
“How does it feel to have stolen American tax money?” said another parent, who asked not to be identified.
School administrators announced Wednesday classes will continue to be held remotely in order to “utilize James Madison High School as a temporary overnight respite center” for undocumented immigrants.
Heavy rain and wind gusts of 110 miles per hour from Tuesday to Wednesday prompted local authorities, concerned for the migrants' safety, to remove them from the area.
“To be clear, this move is a proactive step taken with great care to ensure the safety and well-being of those who work and live at the center,” said City Hall spokesperson Kayla. Mamelak said. “The family has already entered the temporary relocation process and will continue to receive the necessary services and support,” she added.
“Relocation will continue until potential weather conditions stabilize and the facility is again suitable for habitation,” she continued.
Ten NYPD vehicles and six emergency management trucks were stationed outside the high school during the lunch break as preparations were made for migrants to arrive from an airstrip about eight miles away.
“They told us we had to finish everything by 5 o'clock. [p.m.]'' said Robin Levy, the school's physical education teacher. “They sent me an email at 6 in the morning. I don't know when I'll be back.”
More than 20 school buses gathered at the soccer field just before 5 p.m., signaling the start of the relocation drive.
The 2,000-bed tent facility suffered damage last month when strong winds and heavy rain caused metal bolts and hinges to fall from the roof. This wasn't the first time extreme weather has caused problems at the facility.
“The wind was so strong that my tent almost snapped and was blown away,” said Reyvi Rodríguez, a Venezuelan immigrant. She said: “When I told the security guard that I thought a collapse was imminent, I was told that the door was open and I could leave at any time.
At least 70,000 of the 162,000 illegal immigrants who have entered the five boroughs from the U.S. border since spring 2022 remain in city custody.
In addition, the city has set up migrant tents at the former Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in Queens and on Randall's Island in Manhattan. Mayor Eric Adams insisted Tuesday that these locations are less exposed and “not considered susceptible to severe weather.”
Sources say many of the illegal migrants are now returning to tent shelters. But students at the Brooklyn-based high school are reportedly still being forced to work remotely, and parents are demanding answers from school administrators and city officials.
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