City officials relocated close to 2,000 migrants from the Floyd Bennett Field shelter in Marine Park to James Madison High School in Midwood ahead of a storm on Tuesday, forcing close to 3,500 students online Wednesday for virtual learning.
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At least one local politician plans to organize with parents outside of James Madison High School Wednesday morning after city officials evacuated the mega-migrant shelter at Floyd Bennett Field on Tuesday and hurried asylum-seekers to the Midwood school.
Some 1,900 migrants residing at the embattled Marine Park shelter were removed from the facility amid safety concerns ahead of the arrival of a major coastal storm. As rain pounded and winds howled, migrant families set up temporary camp inside James Madison, forcing students online Wednesday for remote learning.
In a letter to parents posted on the school’s website, Principal Jodie Cohen said the decision to go virtual was “to ensure a smooth transition for families temporarily sheltering overnight in the building.”
The city’s decision to house the migrants at the school quickly drew ire from local parents and elected officials.
“This is both unacceptable and was entirely foreseeable, as Floyd Bennett Field is vulnerable to all forms of increment weather conditions and is not a sustainable housing facility,” Council Member Inna Vernikov said in a statement Tuesday. “As an elected official representing this community, I demand a full stop to using our public schools as a shelter ever again.”
Area Assembly Member Michael Novakhov issued a press release late Tuesday night detailing a planned rally at the school Wednesday morning. There, he says he will stand alongside concerned parents of students who have been displaced due to the emergency housing of migrants at the school.
“The City of New York’s decision to prioritize migrants over our communities, budget, safety, and even the education of our children has…
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