THE IMPRESSION THAT STAFFING
ISSUES ARE PLAYING A ROLE WITH
THE CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS.
>>> NEW YORK CITY’S MIGRANT
CRISIS HAS REACHED AN EYE-POPPING NEW MILESTONE.
THERE ARE ACTUALLY MORE PEOPLE
SEEKING ASYLUM IN OUR CITY
SHELTERS THAN THERE ARE HOMELESS NEW YORKERS.
TODAY NEWS 4’S MELISSA RUSSO GOT
AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK INTO THE FIRST
STOP FOR ARRIVALS, THE ROOSEVELT
HOTEL PROCESSING CENTER. >> Reporter: WALKING INTO THAT
LARGE WAITING ROOM TODAY AT THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL IN MIDTOWN, IT
WAS HARD NOT TO BE STRUCK BY THE
MAGNITUDE OF THIS MIGRATION
CRISIS SHOULDERED ALMOST
ENTIRELY BY THE NEW YORK CITY
TAXPAYERS.
BUT ALSO YOU’RE STRUCK BY THE
HUMANITY.
>> WALKING THROUGH THESE DOORS
EVERY DAY, MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE
PER DAY.
>> Reporter: IT’S ONE THING TO HEAR THE NUMBERS, IT’S ANOTHER
TO SEE TODAY’S NEWCOMERS ALL IN
ONE PLACE.
LITTLE ONES WIPED OUT AFTER
WALKING FOR MONTHS TO THE
BORDER, THEN RIDING FOR DAYS ON
A BUS.
LEONARDO FROM VENEZUELA SAYS HIS KIDS ARE HAPPY TO BE HERE AFTER
CROSSING SO MANY RIVERS AND
ROCKS IN THE JUNGLE.
AND WHO ALREADY HAVE A NEW PAIR
OF SHOES.
>> MY HEART BREAKS A LITTLE BIT
AND I HAVE THESE CONFLICTING
FEELINGS.
>> Reporter: DEPUTY MAYOR SAYS
SHE’S PROUD OF THE CARE THE CITY
IS OFFERING, BUT SAD THAT IT’S
UNSUSTAINABLE. OVER THE WEEKEND THE CITY
REACHED A CRITICAL TIPPING POINT FOR THEIR ALREADY JAM-PACKED
SHELTERS. THE 49,700 HOMELESS NEW YORKERS
IN SHELTER NOW OUTNUMBERED BY
50,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS. >> RIGHT NOW THE CITY IS TAKING
CARE OF CLOSE TO 100,000 PEOPLE
IN THE SYSTEM WITH NO END IN
SIGHT.
>> WE’VE DONE SO MANY
VACCINATIONS AT THE ARRIVAL
CENTER WE’VE ALMOST EXHAUSTED
THE VACCINE SUPPLIES.
>> Reporter: THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL
IN MIDTOWN OFFERS MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS, ROOMS
TO MORE THAN 800 FAMILIES WITH
CHILDREN, AND A STATION FOR NEW
ARRIVALS WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL
TO DEPART FROM NEW YORK. >> TO HELP YOU TO ESTABLISH YOUR
GOALS AND TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO HELP YOU GET THERE
AND TO GIVE YOU THAT CRITICAL
PERIOD OF TIME TO ENABLE US TO
GET THROUGH TO THOSE FRIENDS OR
FAMILY MEMBERS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND THEN TO RE-BOOK YOU
SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO ENTER OUR
CITY SYSTEM.
>> Reporter: BUT MANY DON’T HAVE
FRIENDS OR FAMILY HERE AND THE
CITY IS NOT SAYING HOW MANY OF
THE ROUGHLY 400 WHO COME IN EACH
DAY HAVE BEEN REROUTED SOMEWHERE
ELSE. >> I BECAME CITIZEN SINCE 1980.
I DIDN’T COME THAT WAY.
I PASSED THROUGH THE RIGHT
CHANNEL.
WHY DON’T THEM PASS THROUGH THE
RIGHT CHANNEL?
THEY SHOULD SECURE THE BORDER.
>> Reporter: NEW YORKERS CONCERNED AND SURPRISED BY NEWS
OF THE TIPPING POINT, THE BURDEN
ALMOST ENTIRELY ON CITY
TAXPAYERS.
>> IT’S SURPRISING BECAUSE I
FEEL LIKE MAYBE IT’S KIND OF
HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND THE
HOMELESS CSIS HAS BEEN PREVALENT FOR A LONG TIME.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT’S A BIG
ISSUE AND THEY NEED TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT TO DO.
>> Reporter: AFTER ONE MONTH
HERE, AVA SAYS THEY’VE GIVEN HER
EVERYTHING SHE NEEDS FOR HER
3-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER.
HER HUSBAND SAYS THE TREATMENT
HAS BEEN EXCELLENT.
HE SAYS WE APPRECIATE THE MAYOR
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
>> Reporter: AND THE ASYLUM
SEEKERS WE STOPPED RANDOMLY OUTSIDE THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL ON
THE STREET ALL GIVING EXCELLENT REVIEWS OF THE CARE THEY’RE
GETTING TODAY.
THAT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE
CASE IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO.
THE CITY AND LEGAL AID SOCIETY ARE IN TALKS RIGHT NOW AS THE
MAYOR’S OFFICE AND THE CITY ARE
PREPARING TO ASK A COURT TO GIVE
THEM MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE