New York to Close Migrant Assistance Center Due to Lack of Funds, Leaving Thousands in Uncertainty

New York Shuts Down Migrant Assistance Center

Funding Cuts Impact Asylum Seekers

Shelters to Close Amid Economic Crisis

According to EFE, New York is facing a new humanitarian crisis following the official announcement that it will shut down the asylum assistance center that has operated in Manhattan since 2023.

The decision, announced by City Hall on Friday, is due to a lack of financial resources after the state of New York failed to allocate new funds to cover the costs associated with providing services to migrants.

According to Liz García, spokesperson for New York Mayor Eric Adams, the state government decided not to extend its emergency declaration on the migrant crisis or allocate additional budget to the city to handle the related expenses.

Over the past three years, New York has received 236,000 migrants, the majority of whom are from Venezuela, fleeing the political, economic, and social instability in their country.

Closure Will Affect Thousands

New York to Close Migrant Assistance Center – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The city has provided shelter, food, medical care, education for approximately 40,000 children, and legal assistance for asylum and work permit applications.

These efforts have cost the city over $7.7 billion, a financial burden that local authorities say is unsustainable without state or federal support.

The assistance center, located at the main Red Cross building in Manhattan, has processed around 109,000 applications for asylum, work permits, and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) since its opening. TPS allows people from certain countries to live and work legally in the United States.

Many migrants filed multiple applications at once in hopes of expediting their regularization process and easing their precarious living conditions.

Migrant Help Center Faces Uncertainty in New York

New York Migrant Crisis PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Given the scale of the challenge, Mayor Adams had requested a $1 billion allocation from the state government in the new budget set to take effect on July 1.

However, the state legislature rejected the request and did not allocate a single dollar to the city, leaving tens of thousands of migrants who still rely on shelters and municipal services in a state of uncertainty.

Currently, around 38,000 migrants remain housed in city-funded shelters—a situation the local administration considers unsustainable in the short term without external aid.

Adams also harshly criticized the federal government, specifically President Joe Biden’s administration, for failing to respond to requests for help in addressing the migrant crisis affecting New York City.

Migrant Help Center Closure Deepens Political Tension in New York

New York Migrant Crisis PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The lack of federal support worsens the situation, especially in light of threats from former President Donald Trump, who has warned that he may cut funding to cities and states that provide aid to undocumented immigrants.

New York, known as a sanctuary city for immigrants, already suffered an $80 million funding cut under the Trump administration. These funds, originally from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), were intended to cover hotel housing costs for migrants.

The closure of the help center comes on top of the planned shutdown of 25 shelters in June—a decision justified by the decrease in migrant arrivals to the city, which has dropped from 4,000 per week last year to about 100 currently.

This critical scenario highlights the political and budgetary tensions between local, state, and federal governments—while thousands of migrants face the risk of being left without support in a city that has long been a refuge for those seeking a better life.