Mayor Eric Adams plans to impose a curfew on the Randalls Island migrant camp, which has been plagued by violence where one asylum seeker was stabbed to death in January, the Post reported.
The curfew from 11pm to 6am will come into effect from March 20th.
According to the plan, residents of tent encampments will be notified of the new rules on Wednesday.
Exemptions from the stay-at-home order include work, school, legal or medical appointments, and emergencies.
The encampment houses 3,000 adults, both men and women, sleeping in cots, side by side with little privacy.
One police officer who was recently assigned a night shift there told the Post he was surprised by the living conditions in which so many people lived in such close quarters.
“It’s insane. It’s a powder keg,” the officer said. “It reminds me of the refugee camp in the movie Scarface.”
“People are fighting. Some migrants are jumping over the gates to get into the compound. There were no metal detectors either. I was stunned.”
The officer said other patrol officers have been assigned overtime shifts at Randall Island to assist troopers in trying to maintain safety and order.
The mayor recently announced that metal detectors will be installed on Randall Island.
City Hall confirmed on Tuesday that a curfew was in place in the city.
The Randall Island shelter is managed by the city’s Health + Hospitals Authority. The facility is the 187th out of 217 homeless shelters to be subject to the curfew.
The curfew is consistent with curfews at the city’s homeless shelters and other recreation centers, a City Hall spokesperson said.
“This policy will allow the city to more efficiently manage its capacity for immigrants in its care,” the spokesperson added.
“New York City continues to lead the nation in managing this national humanitarian crisis, including the asylum seekers we care for and the communities surrounding the emergency shelters we manage. That includes prioritizing the health and safety of both New Yorkers.”
On January 6, a male immigrant was stabbed to death during an argument at a shelter on Randall Island.
Two immigrants were also recently arrested on suspicion of assaulting a security guard.
Since the border crisis erupted in spring 2022, the city has assisted, sheltered and fed approximately 200,000 migrants. There has been little federal aid, with cities and states contributing billions of dollars to cover costs.
