A lack of clear guidance for migrant teens who arrive in New York City without family is sparking confusion, fear and erratic responses from city officials — including an email exchange suggesting they share information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It’s been a year since tens of thousands of migrants from the southern U.S. border began arriving in the region, with city officials saying in February that fewer than 10 unaccompanied minors under federal supervision had arrived in New York City without parents or guardians. But volunteers who meet recently arrived migrants at the Port Authority Bus Terminal say they have encountered several hundred teens traveling solo since last July, some as young as 14.
Power Malu, an aid worker who’s been meeting immigrants at bus stations and airports, says his group Artists Athletes Activists taps into a network of volunteers who have been housing teens in their apartments in lieu of a coordinated response from the city.
“We can’t have them on the street, but there’s really no other solution for them by way of the government,” said Malu, the group’s executive director.
The lack of guidance has left the city with limited information about how many children and young adults are looking for shelter, with outreach workers and nonprofit providers scrambling to find them care.
Many teens who arrived alone have not come into contact with immigration authorities, following treacherous routes across the border, often coming in on Greyhound buses without documentation, Malu said.
It’s unclear how many unaccompanied minors are currently in New York City. A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams did not respond to questions asking if City Hall has estimates of teen migrants who arrived recently.
The lack of a clear plan or coordination comes as resources for homeless youth dwindle. Last fall, there wasn’t enough room in the city’s youth shelter system to house arriving migrants, City Limits reported, and city…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply