Staten Island church faces plan to house illegal immigrants Bipartisan backlash From local elected officials translation Recently reported.
Staten Island officials held a press conference Monday outside Faith United Methodist Church on Heberton Avenue in Port Richmond to protest a proposal to set up 15 cots inside the church to provide shelter for single adult men who are in the U.S. illegally.
“We should be talking about closing shelters, not opening new ones.”
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, who said he was not informed of the plan until last week, said the church aims to open its doors to undocumented immigrants on Tuesday.
Councilwoman Camilla Hanks (D-North Shore) claimed she only learned of the proposal after receiving a text message from Mayor Eric Adams’ (D) administration on Saturday. Hanks reported that the temporary shelters would be managed by New York Disaster Interfaith Services. Undocumented immigrants would be provided with food, beds and showers from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily.
“We stand here today as elected officials representing our district to strongly oppose the opening of this migrant shelter,” Hanks said at a press conference. “The residents of this district are tired. They are tired of waking up one day to find time and time again that the institutions they trusted have made decisions that they believe will negatively impact their community and their safety.”
Hanks said six churches on Staten Island will be used as shelters for undocumented immigrants.
“The approach this administration is taking changes the fabric of our community and undermines the trust and stability these houses of worship have historically provided,” Hanks said. “And while the people of Staten Island, including me and those who support me, have boundless compassion and mercy, our resources do not.”
Mr Fossella warned the plans would “hurt the area and its residents”.
“Some of us in this community wake up every day and think, ‘How can we make Portland Richmond better? How can we make the North Shore better?'” Fossella continued. “And then government agencies come in and… [which] “They say, ‘OK, here’s how to make it better: We’re going to put a migrant shelter in the middle of your neighborhood.'”
“Is that common sense? It’s not… We have to stand up and fight back,” he added.
Fossella noted that the decision to open the shelter spaces was made “suddenly” and “in the middle of the night.”
City Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island) also attended the press conference.
“I’m not just against migrant shelters in my backyard. I’m against shelters anywhere,” Carr said. “We should be talking about closing shelters, not opening new shelters like the ones they’re trying to close. These churches are totally unsuited for these kinds of facilities.”
New York City currently serves approximately 65,000 undocumented immigrants.
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