A press conference on the city’s migrant crisis led by a cadre of Congress members outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan descended into chaos Friday as anti-immigrant protesters interrupted and shouted over the pols.
The press briefing, led by Congress Members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Adriano Espaillat, followed the pair taking a tour of the city’s migrant intake center at the hotel with several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). But as soon as the lawmakers began speaking about what they believe the federal government needs to do to help the city shoulder the crisis, protesters began drowning them out by shouting statements that were directed at the new arrivals like “send them back” and “close the border.”
They also lobbed insults directed at Ocasio-Cortez and Espaillat personally, including one individual calling Espaillat an “empty suit” and another shouting “f**king Democrat.”
Espaillat responded that the American Dream would not be “bullied into submission.”
“As you can see, this is a contentious issue, but we are for all Americans,” Espaillat said. “And we all believe in the American dream. That’s the common denominator, the American dream. We believe it and we will fight for it … The American dream will not be bullied into submission today. We will continue to fight for the American Dream. We will not be bullied. We will not be pushed into a corner.”
Congress Member Jamal Bowman (D- Bronx), who was also in attendance, said the protesters’ rhetoric isn’t representative of what the Big Apple stands for.
“This is not New York City, yelling ‘close the border,’ yelling the hateful rhetoric, this is not what New York City is all about,” Bowman said. “We all came here from other countries, we’re a nation of immigrants. This is a 21st century Ellis Island situation. And we need to make sure we’re accepting the immigrants and the migrants with love and compassion first and foremost.”
The city has expended tremendous resources to provide for the over 113,000 migrants who’ve arrived since last spring, nearly 60,000 of whom are currently in its shelter system. It has continued having to find new accommodations for a seemingly never-ending stream of new arrivals as the state and federal governments have yet to come through with substantial funding or other assistance.
Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has opened over 200 shelters across the five boroughs to handle the wave of migrants. Many of the shelters announced in recent weeks, including one at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens and another at St. John Villa Academy on Staten Island, have sparked fierce protests featuring similar anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Protesters have also interrupted other pro-immigrant demonstrations, including one led by the mayor late last month demanding the feds allow newcomers to work legally.
One of the protesters who interrupted both the mayor’s rally and Friday’s press conference is Jonathan David Rinaldi, who’s running against City Councilmember James Gennaro (D-Queens) as a Republican. Rinaldi said he’s protesting the city providing for migrants because they’re getting housing and other services “for free,” while those who were already here are getting crushed by the increasing cost of living in the city.
“We have to work hard and pay taxes and I can barely survive,” he said. “But they’re here getting everything for free.”
Rinaldi also bemoaned migrants being able to obtain shelter without having to be vaccinated, while close to 2,000 city employees were fired for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine last year. Furthermore, he pointed to the financial pressure the influx has put on the city budget, with Adams over the weekend requesting 15% cuts across all city agencies to lessen the burden.
“If the entire world knows that they’re giving everything for free in Queens and Manhattan, there’s gonna be a line from here all the way to South America,” Rinaldi said. “It’s never gonna end. We need to close the border. We can’t afford this. Our city’s gonna go bankrupt.”
The lawmakers present said they’re seeking three main solutions to alleviate the financial strain on the city: an extension and expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to several countries including Venezuela; work permits for migrants; and more federal dollars for the city. But short of expanding TPS, which can be done by President Biden, it’s up to the Republican House majority to agree to those solutions — something they’re not likely to do.
“We need more resources, so the White House, the Congress and all of Washington needs to make sure we are providing funding and necessary resources to process the asylum seekers to get them on their way towards citizenship and so they could work,” Bowman said.
The lawmaker also urged better cooperation among the city, state and federal governments, which have all been locked in a game of finger-pointing over who bears responsibility for managing the influx in recent weeks.
“From the very beginning, there’s been a lack of communication and a lack of collaboration,” he said. “Right now. We need everyone to collaborate to make sure we’re dealing with the issue properly.”
Read more: NYC Caps Shelter Stays for Adult Migrants at 30 Days
