An encampment for asylum-seekers under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Brooklyn is no more.
City sanitation workers and the NYPD were on the scene on Friday morning, dismantling the collection of tents off of Hall Street and Park Avenue.
The tents, which sprung up in recent days, acted as a makeshift home to at least a dozen people.
There was no immediate comment from city workers on the scene.
Some of the encampment’s occupants – who were all men – told Gothamist earlier this week that they had been asked to leave a nearby shelter, where they had complained about conditions.
Mutual aid workers and nearby residents provided assistance to the migrant men, including tents, food and other supplies – some of which are now discarded. At the same time, nearby Clinton Hill residents expressed safety concerns and complained about a lack of communication from the city.
The removal comes on the heels of a new campaign by Mayor Eric Adams and his administration to discourage migrants at the southern border from seeking refuge in New York City. At once, the city announced a new policy requiring some migrants to reapply for shelter after 60 days, with the aim of freeing up space for more new arrivals.
The city’s shelter population has topped 103,000, including more than 53,000 migrants who have arrived since the spring of last year.
Both homeless advocates and migrants said the recent actions – particularly limiting shelter stays for people will nowhere else to go – could result in more homeless encampments popping up in the city.
A black van with the Department of Homeless Services arrived around 10 a.m. to move the migrants, but several of the men refused.
Some initially said they were unwilling to go because they feared having to stay in a shelter with people who are addicted to drugs. They relented after they were told they would stay in the Roosevelt Hotel, at 45 E. 45th St.
“We’re just trying to find you a good place, man,” DHS staffer Pedro Pinela told one of the men.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
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