Massive blue city migrant shelter opens despite residents’ furious opposition

A massive 2,200-bed migrant shelter for single men has officially opened in the Bronx, New York, despite widespread opposition from local residents and community leaders. The facility, located at 825 E. 141st St., is a sprawling 275,000-square-foot former warehouse that began accepting migrants on a recent Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the mayor’s office. The shelter’s opening has sparked intense backlash from the community, with many expressing concerns about safety, the lack of consultation, and the potential strain on local resources. At a heated Bronx community board meeting last month, residents vented their frustration, with one local artist, Judy Kudlow, describing her fear for herself and her students, who attend an art school directly across from the shelter. “I have never been afraid in the South Bronx, I am now terrified,” Kudlow said, adding that she would have to move her school due to the new facility.

The opening of the Bronx shelter has also drawn criticism from local leaders, including Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, who condemned the city for approving the project without adequate community input. Gibson had proposed repurposing the site into a manufacturing facility that would create over 2,000 jobs, a plan she argued would benefit the local economy. Instead, the facility will house a large influx of migrant men, a decision that has left many residents feeling disregarded. “They made a terrible mistake,” Gibson said, echoing the sentiment of many community members who feel their concerns were ignored. Additionally, some residents and officials, including Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres, have accused the city of treating the Bronx as “a dumping ground” for migrants, further fueling tensions.

Protests have erupted outside the facility, with demonstrators making last-ditch efforts to halt its opening. However, these efforts appear to have been unsuccessful, as the shelter is now operational. Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for confirmation of the shelter’s opening but did not receive a response prior to publication. Many of the migrants being housed at the Bronx facility are being transferred from the sprawling tent shelter on Randalls Island, according to city records cited by the New York Post. The opening of the Bronx shelter comes as Mayor Eric Adams’ office announced that the number of migrants in the city’s care has dropped to fewer than 45,000, down from a peak of 69,000 in January 2024. Since the spring of 2022, over 232,000 migrants have arrived in New York City seeking assistance, with taxpayers footing the bill for housing and services that have already cost billions of dollars.

In a related development, Adams also announced the upcoming closure of the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Manhattan, a facility that has become a focal point of the city’s migrant crisis. The hotel, which has around 1,000 rooms, has processed more than 173,000 migrants since it opened in May 2023. Its closure, expected by June, is being framed as a cost-saving measure that will “save taxpayers millions of dollars,” according to Adams. The mayor also claimed that the closure reflects the success of his administration’s policies in managing the crisis, allowing asylum seekers to “take the next steps in their journeys” while envisioning a brighter future. The Roosevelt Hotel has been a key location for many migrants arriving in the city, often serving as their first stop after crossing the border.

Despite the closure of the Roosevelt Hotel shelter, the new Bronx facility has drawn sharp criticism from local residents and some officials. The building, owned by the nonprofit SoBro Local Development Corporation, was renovated in 2017 and is part of the organization’s mission to improve the quality of life in the South Bronx through economic and housing initiatives. However, its repurposing as a migrant shelter has sparked controversy, with many arguing that the site could have been used for other purposes, such as affordable housing or community programs. Diana Ayala, a Democratic councilwoman representing parts of the Bronx and Manhattan, defended the decision, stating that the city is legally obligated to provide shelter for migrants and cannot leave them on the streets. “They have to put them somewhere,” Ayala said, praising the Adams administration’s handling of the crisis.

However, not everyone shares Ayala’s perspective. Tyreek Goodman, a member of the Bronx County Conservative Party and a vocal opponent of the shelter, expressed frustration over the allocation of resources. “We live in an area where there’s a high crime rate, a high poverty rate,” Goodman said. “Every day, somebody’s being evicted. The price of living has gone up. How could you not put us first when you can clearly see your citizens’ struggles? That building could have been used for the youth, elderly, veterans, and our own homeless.” Goodman’s comments highlight the broader debate over how to balance the city’s legal and moral obligations to migrants with the needs and concerns of its existing residents. As the migrant crisis continues to unfold, the opening of the Bronx shelter and the closure of the Roosevelt Hotel represent just two of many challenges the city faces in addressing this complex and deeply divisive issue.