Assemblymember Inez Dickens told voters at a recent candidate forum that a problem was emerging at a nearby homeless shelter.
“There’s now becoming an adversarial situation between the asylum-seekers and the Blacks that are there,” Dickens said, citing a cousin who works at the facility.
An attendee at the curbside forum asked her if there would be a “cap on the migration of immigrants” entering the community, and voiced concerns that the tens of thousands of migrants coming to New York City from the southern U.S. border were taxing a social safety net already straining to serve longtime residents.
“Many of your electeds may feel very similar to what you’re saying, but for fear of being called racist, they’re not speaking out about it,” Dickens said.
“It’s survival. It’s not being racist,” the attendee responded.
Among the candidates in the 9th District City Council race, Dickens has emerged as the most vocal about the city’s migrant crisis — a political quagmire for Mayor Eric Adams, who endorsed Dickens last week, though she has criticized his handling of the situation.
Other candidates have been more tepid on the influx of migrants, reaffirming the city’s historical role as a sanctuary for persecuted minorities while advocating for resources for homeless people. But neither Yusef Salaam nor Assemblymember Al Taylor, who have cross-endorsed each other for the ranked-choice primary, have articulated specific positions or proposals.
Dickens, who has represented Harlem in some capacity for the better part of the last half-century, is echoing a long-standing complaint from her constituents: Harlem is housing an unfair share of substance abuse treatment facilities and homeless shelters compared to other parts of the city, and shouldn’t be burdened with a migrant facility.
Historically redlined neighborhoods have often borne the brunt of addiction and shelter sites, and Dickens has been vocal in her objections to making Harlem yet another “dumping…
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