Harlem residents criticized New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday after it was revealed that he plans to convert an abandoned luxury apartment complex into a shelter for illegal immigrants.
Ms. Adams showed up unannounced at a community meeting in Upper Manhattan on Thursday. There, local residents gathered to discuss rumors about a building being constructed at the corner of 130th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Avenue. According to CBS News, preparations were secretly underway to accept the migrants.
During the meeting, Adams told residents he could not agree to allowing undocumented immigrants into buildings when the needs of local residents were not being met.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleads for state to cover 50% of city’s immigration crisis costs
Harlem residents are criticizing New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday after it was revealed that the city plans to convert an abandoned luxury apartment complex into a shelter for illegal immigrants. (Fox News)
“I told the team, ‘Find out what’s going on here,'” Adams said. “If there’s a long-term need in the community, we’re not going to move people into a brand new building. That’s not going to happen.”
“There will be no immigrants or asylum seekers on that land,” he said.
“They sneaked them in here without any transparency,” Tiffany, a Harlem resident, told Fox News about city officials’ efforts to place immigrants in the city.
“I see bunk beds being brought in. What’s going on? And no one was aware this was happening. No one,” she said.
“Of course they’re angry. They’re furious,” Harlem resident Ruth McDaniels said. They have been ignored for a long time. ”
“How do you think you would feel if you had a brand new luxury building and people were living in one apartment, sometimes two or three generations, and now you didn’t want to give it to them? ?” “We want to bring in outsiders, but what does that look like? We have to take care of the residents who are already there,” she said.
Gilda Dawn Gillim says, “One in four people of color in New York City is rent-burdened. In downtown Harlem alone, that’s 44 percent of people who are rent-burdened. One-third of my income will go toward rent.”
“In our community, we’re seeing our neighbors displaced. We’re seeing our friends and family displaced because they can’t pay their rent,” she said, adding that Adams and others are now seeing their friends and family displaced because they can’t pay their rent. He added that he is having “healthy conversations” with other city officials about how to respond. Her purpose is to “correct” the problem of allowing illegal immigrants to move into local housing.
Faced with community backlash, New York mayor withdraws plan to house immigrants in luxury buildings
“They sneaked them in here without any transparency,” Tiffany, a Harlem resident, told Fox News about city officials’ efforts to place migrants in the city. (Fox News)
“We have no say here” about illegal immigrants coming into the community, Leslie Johnson said.
“This is a pigeonhole,” McDaniels said. “This is a sign to this mayor. Your people are watching you now. You have an obligation to the black community to make sure our needs are met. The Chinese, the Italians, All other demographics, like Italians, care about their communities.”
The building was originally advertised as a luxury home with a pool, but had been vacant for about 10 years after the developer defaulted on the loan, the paper reported. According to city records, it was built in 2007 and has 35 units.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
FOX News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
