New York City officials have decided to close a large tent complex in Brooklyn. The site, located on Floyd Bennett Field, is built on federal land and currently accommodates around 2,000 migrants.
Mayor Eric Adams‘s administration is taking this action due to concerns over potential policy changes by incoming President Donald J. Trump and his immigration czar, Tom Homan. Officials worry that Trump’s White House might terminate the shelter’s lease upon his assuming office in January, or could claim the right to conduct immigration enforcement on federal land.
The closure of Floyd Bennett Field is part of a broader plan to shut down 25 migrant shelters across the city by March. Facilities set to close include several hotels throughout New York City, college dormitories in Upper Manhattan, a converted warehouse at Kennedy Airport, and numerous upstate hotels used for housing migrants.
An anticipated drop in illegal immigrant numbers follows the city’s expenditure exceeding $6 billion over two years for housing purposes. Mayor Adams has steered clear of directly citing President-elect Trump as a reason for the Floyd Bennett Field closure despite the location being the only city shelter on federal land.
City representatives have indicated that while the lease will conclude by March, families will vacate the shelter by January 15, shortly before President-elect Trump assumes office. In a statement, Mayor Adams mentioned, “We’re going to continue looking for more sites to consolidate and close, and more opportunities to save taxpayer money, as we continue to successfully manage this response.”
