At least 13 people were arrested Wednesday night during a rally that drew hundreds to protest the newly opened tent shelter for asylum seekers at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center campus in Queens, according to police.
City officials said around 120 migrants arrived at the shelter on its opening day Tuesday, and 250 were expected to get there by Wednesday. Located in the parking lot of the Creedmoor campus, the tents are expected to house 1,000 single adult men – drawing opposition from those rallying Wednesday, including Bayside resident Joan Palmentiere.
“I’m here because my granddaughter plays in this playground and I’m very upset that she won’t be able to with 1,000-something military-aged men,” she told Gothamist. “I’m worried for her because it’s not going to be safe. There’s a school here and the YMCA – it’s just a very bad location to put something like this.”
Across the street from the entrance Wednesday night protesters held signs that read “Americans over migrants” and “send them back.” Chants from the crowd included “No tent city” and “Close the border.”
Led by Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, they crossed the street to the entrance of the campus where they clashed with police. After being warned over a loudspeaker to get out of the intersection and stop blocking traffic, several people, including Sliwa, were placed in zip-tie handcuffs and arrested by police, though it was unclear what charges they faced.
The new respite center was approved by the state, which is also footing the bill. It comes as city officials say the city has run out of space and money for new arrivals at shelters and emergency hotel sites. More than 100,000 migrants have arrived in the city since last spring, with more than 58,500 remaining in the city’s care, according to a Wednesday statement from Mayor Eric Adams.
The mayor said Sunday that the “dam has burst” as migrants lined the streets around Manhattan’s Roosevelt Hotel, spending some nights…
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