Community Corner
Asylum Seekers From Texas Sent To Upper West Side Hotel
A portion of the asylum seekers from Texas and Arizona are now on the UWS, Council Member Shaun Abreu's office confirmed to Patch.
UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Roughly 7,500 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City from Texas and Arizona since the beginning of August, and some of them have been sent to live on the Upper West Side, an elected official confirmed to Patch.
The city is using hotels to serve as temporary homes for the asylum seekers, much like it did during the height of the pandemic for temporary homeless shelters to help with overcrowding.
Around 30 families have been sent to live at an Upper West Side hotel on Central Park West.
Find out what's happening in Upper West Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Department of Homeless Services and elected officials have been asked not to share the specific location for the privacy of the families.
Council Member Shaun Abreu, who is overseeing the asylum seekers' journey to the Upper West Side, told Patch that the community is proud to welcome the refugee families.
Find out what's happening in Upper West Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Our community is proud to welcome refugee families seeking a better life in New York City," Abreu told Patch. "My office is working around the clock to make sure city agencies are providing them with the necessary translation, housing, medical, and educational support they need."
"It is especially important that, as school starts in the next few weeks, families with children get support," he added. "In the days ahead, we hope to coordinate opportunities for the community to offer additional support for these families."
The families began moving into the Upper West Side hotel on Monday night.
The city has also opened a resource center for the migrants, along with its shelters and hotels.
The migrants and legal asylum seekers began getting bussed to New York City as an expansion of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's plan in April to bus migrants to Washington D.C., which was an effort to antagonize President Joe Biden and his stance on border security.
Abbott eventually added New York City as a bus drop-off location amid a feud with Mayor Eric Adams.
The WestSideRag was the first publication to report on the asylum seekers getting sent to the Upper West Side.
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