NYC’s migrant crisis: Fewer arrivals, but challenges remain

Manuel Castro, commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, says the city is now seeing around 700 migrants arrive weekly, down from 4,000 at the height of the emergency.

Lindsay Tanney

Oct 24, 2024, 10:36 AM

Updated 2 hr ago

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The migrant crisis that has taken over New York City since 2022 is now slowing, with fewer people arriving each week.
Manuel Castro, commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, says the city is now seeing around 700 migrants arrive weekly, down from 4,000 at the height of the emergency.
However, around 60,000 migrants remain in the city’s care, many struggling to find housing as resources are stretched thin.
Although some shelters, like the one on Randall’s Island, are closing, the city renewed its contract for the shelter at Floyd Bennett Field for another year. Castro emphasizes that despite fewer arrivals, costs are still rising due to the need to maintain shelters and provide services.
Castro calls for more federal assistance, particularly in expediting work permits, which would allow migrants to support themselves and ease the burden on the city.