ASYLUM-SEEKERS ADJUST TO LIFE AT MIGRANT SHELTER

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

THE MASSIVE INFLUX OF MERELY 50,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS IS TESTING NEW YORK'S ABILITY TO RESPOND TO A CRISIS MAYOR ADAMS SAYS HAS STRETCHED THE CITY TO ITS LIMIT.

NOW, ONE OF THE MAJOR FLASH POINTS UNFOLDED THIS MONTH WHEN POLICE CLEARED AN ENCAMPMENT OF MIGRANT MEN OUTSIDE THE WATSON HOTEL IN MANHATTAN.

THE GROUP REFUSED TO MOVE TO A MIGRANT SHELTER AT THE BROOKLYN CRUISE TERMINAL IN RED HOOK AMID REPORTS OF TOO MANY PEOPLE LIVED SQUEEZED TOGETHER.

"DOCUMENTED" RECENTLY TRAVELLED TO BROOKLYN AND OTHER SHELTERS TO SEE WHAT MIGRANTS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES OF TRYING TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES IN NEW YORK.

JOINING US TO DISCUSS THEIR REPORTING AND THE LARGER CRISIS IN NEW YORK IS FISAYO OKARE, "DOCUMENTED'S" NEWS LITTER WRITER.

WELCOME?

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME "DOCUMENTED" ENGAGEMENT JOURNALIST ROMMEL OJEDA.

WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.

>> FISAYO, I WONDER IF YOU COULD TAKE US DEEPER INTO THE STORY I MENTIONED, AND THAT IS ABOUT THE ASYLUM SEEKERS, THE MEN REMOVED FROM THE SIDEWALK OUTSIDE THE WATSON HOTEL.

>> YES.

THE MEN WERE REMOVED BY CITY OFFICIALS FROM OUTSIDE THE WATSON HOTEL.

THEY HAD STAYED THERE BECAUSE THE DAY BEFORE, SOME MIGRANTS HAD GONE TO THE NEW CENTER THAT LAUNCHED AT THE BROOKLYN CRUISE TERMINAL IN RED HOOK, AND WHEN THEY RETURNED, THEY COMPLAINED THAT CONDITIONS WERE MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED AT THE HOTEL WHILE LIVING THERE.

AT THE WATSON HOTEL, TYPICALLY TWO MEN ARE ALLOCATED TO A ROOM AND PRIVATE BATH, BUT AT THE CENTER IN RED HOOK, IT'S JUST A GENERAL SLEEPING AREA WITH SEVERAL COTS FOR MIGRANTS TO SLEEP IN, IN THE BATHROOMS ARE OUTSIDE.

WHEN THEY HAVE TO TAKE A SHOWER, THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THE TENT TO TAKE A SHOWER.

SO WHEN SOME OF THE MIGRANTS RETURNED -- THEY WENT WITH THE BUSSES THAT THE CITY ORGANIZED OR ARRANGES FOR THEM TO GO TO THE CENTER IN, AND THEN THEY RETURNED TO THE HOTEL.

SO FROM WHAT SOME SAID, THEY WERE HESITANT TO GO TO THE CENTER IN RED HOOK.

HOWEVER, WHEN MY COLLEAGUE AND I WENT TO RED HEALTH CARE TO SPEAK TO THE MIGRANTS WHO HAD GONE THERE, AT THIS POINT MOST OF THE MIGRANTS HAD BEEN MOVED THERE OVERNIGHT BY THE CITY.

THEY SAID CONDITIONS THERE WERE NOT AS BAD.

THEY WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE RESOURCES THEY PROVIDED THEM.

IN THE WORDS OF ONE OF THEM, HE SAID THEY WERE PRIVILEGED THAT THE CITY WAS OFFERING THEM RESOURCES WHILE THEY TRIED TO BOUNCE BACK FROM THE SITUATION -- >> THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE HEARING PRIOR TO THIS WAS THAT IT WAS ALSO NOT JUST THE CONDITIONS OF THE TERMINAL IN RED HOOK, BUT ALSO JUST THE LOCATION, AND CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY GOING ALL THE WAY OUT TO RED HOOK INSTEAD OF BEING IN MANHATTAN, PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING THAT FAR AWAY FROM, GUY EASY, NEW YORK CITY'S CENTER?

>> THE MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING FAR AWAY IN A REMOTE LOCATION AS THE BROOKLYN CRUISE TERMINAL IS IN BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE -- OR THEY ARE IN -- ACCESSING THE SUBWAY IS MORE DIFFICULT COMPARED TO WHEN THEY WERE AT THE WATSON HOTEL.

THE SUBWAYS WERE NEARBY.

AT THE CENTER IN RED HOOK, THEY HAVE TO WALK FARTHER AWAY BEFORE GETTING TO THE SUBWAY STATION THERE.

ALSO, SOME OF THEM HAVE -- I MEAN, SOME OF THEM IN NEW YORK RIGHT NOW MOST OF THEM ARE LOOKING FOR WORK SO THEY CAN SUSTAIN THEMSELVES, AND SO THE COMMUTES FROM THE SENTER TO WHERE THEY WORK IS -- WHERE THEY WORK IS ACTUALLY MORE CHALLENGING COMPARED TO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE AT THE WATSON HOTEL.

HOWEVER, THE CITY PROVIDED FREE FERRIES FOR THEM FROM THE BROOKLYN CRUISE TERMINAL.

THERE ARE ALSO BUSSES THAT THE CITY HAS ARGUED TO BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT THEMSELVES EASILY TO AND FROM THERE WORK TO MANHATTAN.

>> SO, ROMMEL, I WANT TO ASK YOU, DO YOU KNOW IF -- HOW THIS IS AFFECTING PEOPLES' VIEW AT LEAST OF HAVING GONE THROUGH WHAT I'M SURE IS AN ARDUOUS JOURNEY JUST TO GET TO NEW YORK, WHAT THEIR OPINION IS NOW OF THE CITY BEING HERE AND, YOU KNOW, BEING REMOVED, HAVING TO LIVE ON THE STREETS, AND TRYING TO GET AROUND A CITY THAT ISN'T ALWAYS THAT EASILY NAVIGABLE?

>> YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GETS LOST IN THE CONVERSATION IS THE MIGRANTS ARE SEEK A COMMUNITY, RIGHT?

SO WHEN WE HAVE THIS CONSTANT SHIFT FROM TEMPORARY SHELTER TO SHELTER THEY ARE LOSING THEMSELVES IN A COMMUNITY THEY'RE GETTING USED TO.

WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT WERE AT THE SHELTER IN THE BRONX, AND WHILE THEY WERE THERE FOR THREE MONTHS THEY HAD ALREADY FOUND A JOB.

ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WERE MOVED TO BROOKLYN AND THEY HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN.

SO TRYING TO ADJUST AFTER HAVING TO ADJUST AFTER THAT TRIP IN ITSELF SEEMS TO IMPACT THEM IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT?

ONE OF THEM AS FISAYO MENTIONED WAS THE FACT THAT THEY HAD TO LOOK FOR JOBS, AND IF THEY HAD FOUND A -- MOST LIKELY THEY HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN.

THEN YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT.

HAVING THE CONSTANT STRUGGLE TO FIND NEW RESOURCES, TO FIND NEW PEOPLE TO TALK TO, TO FIND HELP IN THE NEW SHELTER IMPACTS THEM.

AND WE HAVE SEEN A LOT -- NOT A LOT, BUT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE TO THE HOSPITALS AND HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ANXIETY, WITH DEPRESSION, AND HAVING TO RETURN AND SEEK PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO CAN HOPEFULLY UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE AND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM AND HELP THEM WORK TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE STRUGGLES THAT THEY'RE FACING AND WILL CONTINUE TO FACE IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS.

>> HAVE YOU FOUND IF THERE ARE ANY ORGANIZATIONS OF SOME SORT IN THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN STEPPING UP AND AT LEAST TRYING TO HELP SOME OF THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS AND MIGRANTS TRY TO MAKE THIS ADJUSTMENT?

>> THEY'RE HAVE BEEN SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE GET GO.

THEY HAVE BEEN HELPING MIGRANTS AND SORT OF IMPLEMENTING THIS NEW MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLING SESSIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO, SHARE THEIR STRUGGLES, BUT THEY CAN ALSO FIND PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE SHELTERS TENDS TO LACK IS A PERSON THAT SPEAKS SPANISH.

EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THIS TRANSLATION SERVICE, IT IS NOT THE SAME AS HAVING SOMEONE IN FRONT OF YOU YOU CAN TALK TO AND EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.

SO THEY HAVE BEEN SORT OF HELPING THEM OUT AND CONNECTING -- YOU KNOW, FILLING THE GAP BETWEEN THE CITY RESOURCES THAT EXIST BUT THAT ASYLUM SEEKERS MAY NOT KNOW OR BE AWARE OF BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SPANISH SERVICES IN THE -- THAT THEY'RE IN.

>> FISAYO, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I'M WONDERING IS HOW THE SI OR CITY LEADERSHIP, SPECIFICALLY MAYOR ADAMS, HAS EVOLVED ON THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE WHILE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL HE WAS VERY MUCH A DEFENDER OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, BUT THAT SEEMS TO HAVE EVOLVED, I GUESS, IS THE WORD I CAN THINK OF.

>> YES, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF MORE ASYLUM SEEKERS AND MIGRANTS DURING THE SUMMER, THE MAYOR'S POSITION ABOUT IT HAS BEEN CHANGE.

HAS BEEN TRYING TO LEAD HIS ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE AS MUCH RESOURCES AS HE CAN, BUT ALSO HE HAS BEEN -- HE HAS SAID OVER AGAIN THAT THE CITY'S OVERWHELMED, AND COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT OTHER GOVERNORS FROM OTHER CITY BUSED IN MIGRANTS FROM SOME OF THEIR OWN STATES TO NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S A SANCTUARY CITY, IT'S HAS FURTHER MADE THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO BE OVERWHELMED ABOUT IT.

SO WE HAVE HAD THE MAYOR SAY THINGS LIKE THE RIGHT TO -- HAS TO BE REVIEWED OR HAS TO BE GONE OVER BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

HE DID MENTION ONCE THAT THE -- HE WASN'T QUITE SURE IF THE LAW SHOULD APPLY TO ASYLUM SEEKERS AS WELL, BUT MOST ADVOCATES AND -- ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS AS WELL HAVE BEEN PUSHING BACK ON IT, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT HE CAN NOT DECIDE TO CHANGE THE LAW OR CHANGE HIS VIEWS JUST BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOW OVERWHELMED BY THE ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE CITY.

>> HAS THE CITY, IN YOUR OPINION, MADE ANY PROGRESS WITH PERHAPS BATTLING MISINFORMATION, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS ONE LOCATION WHERE THEY'RE MOVING MIGRANTS TO?

I KNOW THE MAYOR SPENT THE NIGHT THERE TO SORT OF PROVE A POINT.

>> YES, THE CITY HAS BEEN TRYING TO BATTLE MISINFORMATION ABOUT IT.

EVEN THE COMMISSIONER OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS HAS BEEN IN THE MEDIA AS WELL RECENTLY TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY'RE TRYING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE A SPACE FOR THE MIGRANTS TO STAY.

AND ALSO THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CITY OFFICIALS, INCLUDING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND A NEW YORK STATE SENATOR AS WELL WHO HAVE GONE THERE TO TOUR THE PLACE BY THEMSELVES.

PRESS WAS ALLOWED TO GO IN.

WHEN MY COLLEAGUE AND I WENT THERE WE FOUND MIGRANTS ON THEIR WAY TO WALK, LEAVING THE CENTER ON THEIR WAY TO WORK.

BUT CITY OFFICIALS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THE CONDITIONS THERE.

WHILE THEY HAVE UNDERSCORED THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT THE MOST IDEAL SITUATION, THEY ALSO SAID THAT IT'S AN ARRANGEMENT THAT WORKS FOR THE MIGRANTS, ESPECIALLY NOW IN THIS SITUATION THEY'RE IN WHILE TRYING TO SEEK ASYLUM AND GET THE RIGHT -- SO THEY CAN BEGIN WORKING AND BEGIN TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES.

>> ROMMEL, I'M WONDERING, BECAUSE EARLIER YOU DID MENTION THE CRISIS OF MENTAL HEALTH THAT THIS IS ALSO CAUSING FOR, YOU KNOW, MIGRANT MEN.

BUT WE KNOW IT'S NOT JUST MEN WHO WERE INVOLVED.

THERE'S ALSO CHILDREN.

DO YOU KNOW IF THIS IS HAVING A SIMILAR IMPACT ON CHILDREN WHO ARE COMING TO THE CITY?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTICED WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IS THAT THE SENSE OF BELONGING AND HAVING TO ADJUST TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND HAVING TO FIND NEW FRIENDS THAT CAN HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ITSELF DOES TAKE A TOLL, BUT COMPARED TO THE JOURNEY THEY MADE THROUGH THE GAP, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT, THEY TEND TO COMPARE THOSE TWO, AND IN A WAY FIND A WAY TO SAY THAT, OKAY, I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SOMETHING WORSE, AND THEREFORE I CAN DEAL WITH IT.

OF COURSE THE CITY HAS ALSO ALLOCATED FUNDS TO HELPING CHILDREN AND ALSO FAMILIES IN GENERAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, KIDS CAN ACTUALLY ADJUST TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ALSO JUST LEARN THE LANGUAGE, RIGHT?

HOPEFULLY MORE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS SO PEOPLE CAN LEARN ENGLISH FASTER.

BUT, YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT'S -- IT'S A LONG PROCESS, AND WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP REPORTING ON IT TO SEE WHAT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE -- IS.

>> ROMMEL, WE ONLY HAVE -- SECONDS LEFT.

BUT WONDERING, DO MIGRANTS HAVE TIES TO THE CITY, OR ARE THEY HERE ON THEIR OWN?

>> A LOT OF FAMILIES WE HAVE SPOKEN TO, THEY'RE HERE ON THEIR OWN, WHICH COMPLICATES NAVIGATING THE CITY.

THE CITY IS WORKING WITH OTHER NONPROFITS TO GET RESOURCES, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE ALONE.

MOST OF THEM ARE ALSO FROM VENEZUELA, WHICH THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN THEY GOT HERE, WHICH COMPLICATES THINGS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO START FROM ZERO AND JUST BASICALLY LEARN AS THEY GO.

>> ALL RIGHT, WELL, I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF MY GUESTS, FISAYO OKARE AND ROMMEL OJEDA, BOTH FROM "DOCUMENTED".

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPORTING AND FOR JOINING US TONIGHT ON "METROFOCUS."

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.

>> ABSOLUTELY.