Dozens Of Migrants Found Living In Queens Store Basement: Officials

QUEENS, NY — Dozens of migrants were found living in a Queens furniture store basement, officials said.

Mayor Eric Adams said city officials took the people — reported to be 87 total, mostly from Senegal, a number unverified by officials — from the Richmond Hill building after FDNY inspectors discovered them during an inspection Monday.

"We're still investigating exactly what happened here," he said.

Many details remained unclear by Tuesday afternoon, but officials did provide a broad strokes narrative that began with complaints from neighbors of 132-03 Liberty Ave., near 132nd Street.

A 311 complaint about e-bikes stacked in the property's backyard brought fire inspectors to the building, Adams and FDNY officials said.

They found roughly 40 beds on the building's ground floor and cellar, a potentially dangerous living situation, fire officials said.

The discovery brought Department of Buildings inspectors to the property, where they found, according to a complaint:

• 14 bunk beds with personal items and a three-piece bathroom set up for roughly 28 people
• 13 mattresses on the cellar level for as many people, with another three-piece bathroom
• Insufficient light and ventilation in the basement with only one exit

Buildings officials issued a vacate order because of unsafe conditions, including overcrowding, said emergency management officials.

The people inside the building were given "assistance," said Fabien Levy, the city's deputy mayor for communications.

Patch could not independently verify a PIX11 report that stated 87 people were found inside the building, and that they were taken to a Bronx migrant shelter.

The landlord, in interviews with PIX11 and CBS, said he charged migrants $300 to live in the building and for food. He reportedly said he did so to help his fellow Africans when the city wouldn't.

"Since they aren't giving them place to stay, we will do this ourselves," he told CBS.