AM NY – The hearing was called by the council’s Committee on Immigration Chair Shahana Hanif in response to what she characterized as the city’s failure to “meet the basic needs” of over 13,000 newly arrived migrants – who’ve been coming to the city in droves since May. Hanif was in part referring to reports the city has twice violated its right to shelter law over the summer, most recently failing to house 60 men – who had to sleep on the floor and benches of a Manhattan intake center overnight.

“In responding quickly to this unprecedented crisis, it is clear that in other ways, we are failing to meet the basic needs of recent arrivals,” Hanif said. “Every few days over the past two months, we have seen headlines about migrants who have not been provided shelter, food or other necessary resources by the city. We’ve also read stories of migrants who are isolated without sufficient mental health care or in-language communication.” [Read More]