Cold and hungry, migrants told amNewYork Metro that their American dream has turned into a living nightmare as they continue to languish on the streets while waiting for temporary shelter.
Photo by Dean Moses
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Shivering amid the cold as a storm approached, more than a thousand migrants lined up outside the East Village’s former St. Brigid School for processing at the reticketing center set up there.
Most of those lined up for blocks leading to the site hail from Africa; they had spent days camped out waiting for their turn to enter the center in the hope of finding a place to sleep after Mayor Eric Adams limited shelter stays to 30 days for single adult men.
“We come from Africa where it is hot. Now here it is so cold, temperature go down,” 43-year-old Alioubobo Diallo said from behind a metal barrier as he waited to enter the building. “It is not easy. I can’t feel my foot, it is so cold.”
Over the weekend, as a nor’easter loomed, over a thousand of new arrivals lined the sidewalk outside of the East Village’s former St. Brigid School turned migrant reticketing center. Wrapping around several blocks, men hailing primarily from Africa hunched shivering and rubbing their hands together as they braved the blistering cold. Photo by Dean MosesOver the weekend, as a nor’easter loomed, over a thousand of new arrivals lined the sidewalk outside of the East Village’s former St. Brigid School turned migrant reticketing center. Wrapping around several blocks, men hailing primarily from Africa hunched shivering and rubbing their hands together as they braved the blistering cold. Photo by Dean MosesOver the weekend, as a nor’easter loomed, over a thousand of new arrivals lined the sidewalk outside of the East Village’s former St. Brigid School turned migrant reticketing center. Wrapping around several blocks, men hailing primarily from Africa hunched shivering and rubbing their hands together as they braved the blistering cold. Photo by Dean Moses
Diallo explained that he traveled from Senegal, leaving behind a wife and children while seeking a better life in the United States with the ultimate goal of bringing his family to the Big Apple since he fears for their safety.
“In my country there is so much violence, political violence,” Diallo said. “I am not getting work and if you try to protest, they kill them. If you talk about politics, they arrest you.”
Despite having spent several days on the street, Diallo says he is thankful for the help from the New York government, yet not all new arrivals feel the same way.
Since the migrant crisis began in April 2022, New York City has struggled to put up the newcomers in proper shelter and provide services to them to set up new lives in the Big Apple. While some critics have charged that aid for migrants has been easy to come by, some of the newcomers at the East Village site argued that nothing has been given to them easily.
One man, who refused to give his name out of fear of retaliation, said he had been living on the streets for a week and had been going hungry. Suffering, he said conditions for new arrivals are grave.
“We sleep sometimes in a church, sometimes in a mosque without anything. We struggle to find something to eat,” the man said.
Arriving over the border wall in Mexico and having been in the country for about two months, the man said he is struggling with the cold temperatures and the harsh reality of the current economic climate.
Believing he would find a job and a place to stay, he told amNewYork Metro that neither of those things have come to fruition.
According to those willing to talk about their predicament, many of the migrants have spent days camping on the street waiting for their turn to enter the center in hopes of finding a place to sleep after Mayor Eric Adams limited shelter stays to 30 days for single adult men.Photo by Dean MosesAccording to those willing to talk about their predicament, many of the migrants have spent days camping on the street waiting for their turn to enter the center in hopes of finding a place to sleep after Mayor Eric Adams limited shelter stays to 30 days for single adult men.Photo by Dean MosesAccording to those willing to talk about their predicament, many of the migrants have spent days camping on the street waiting for their turn to enter the center in hopes of finding a place to sleep after Mayor Eric Adams limited shelter stays to 30 days for single adult men.Photo by Dean Moses
“If we have a home we can find work but they give us a home just for one month,” the man said. “They said it is a good place, that we will find a job — it is a place of opportunities. It is unexpected for us. The main problem is that we are not used to the cold.”
Baouba, also from Senegal shared that he had been waiting on the street near Tompkins Square Park for two days as he vied for a spot in a local shelter.
“It’s cold, very cold,” Baouba said repeatedly, shivering.
So many people found themselves waiting and hoping for a spot in the shelter system that they slept on the street and in the park hunched over their meager belongings as others rationed fruit like oranges and apples.
This deluge of human suffering is all taking place feet from Assemblymember Harvey Epstein’s office. In speaking with amNewYork Metro, Epstein criticized the mayor’s 30-day rule.
“This idea of looping people out every 30 days has created a crisis and 95% of people are still going back into shelter. So, the reality is people aren’t taking on the option to go someplace else. They’re staying here in New York. So, we need to have better solutions,” Epstein said. “We need to talk about better systems. We need to talk about a real plan and unfortunately, this is not a real plan.”
So many people found themselves waiting and hoping for a spot in the shelter system that they slept on the street and in the park hunched over their meager belongings as others rationed fruit like oranges and apples.Photo by Dean Moses“We come from Africa where it is hot. Now here it is so cold, temperature go down,” 43-year-old Alioubobo Diallo said. Photo by Dean MosesOver the weekend, as a nor’easter loomed, over a thousand of new arrivals lined the sidewalk outside of the East Village’s former St. Brigid School turned migrant reticketing center. Wrapping around several blocks, men hailing primarily from Africa hunched shivering and rubbing their hands together as they braved the blistering cold. Photo by Dean MosesOver the weekend, as a nor’easter loomed, over a thousand of new arrivals lined the sidewalk outside of the East Village’s former St. Brigid School turned migrant reticketing center. Wrapping around several blocks, men hailing primarily from Africa hunched shivering and rubbing their hands together as they braved the blistering cold. Photo by Dean MosesOver the weekend, as a nor’easter loomed, over a thousand of new arrivals lined the sidewalk outside of the East Village’s former St. Brigid School turned migrant reticketing center. Wrapping around several blocks, men hailing primarily from Africa hunched shivering and rubbing their hands together as they braved the blistering cold. Photo by Dean Moses
