The widely-discussed migrant encampment located at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center grounds in Eastern Queens is slated to shut down, as per recent statements from government officials. Apart from being the rest of the significant open-air encampments in the city, the Creedmoor shelter has constantly been discussed due to its use to accommodate more than a thousand asylum seekers. These individuals have often found themselves in a community that has not often shown itself to be hospitable. The current plan as it stands is for the migrants present at the Creedmoor site to be relocated during March, with April being the projected month for the dismantling of the extensive tent infrastructure.
This impending closure of the Creedmoor shelter is concurrent with the city’s overarching strategy to close down humanitarian and emergency aid centers like Creedmoor across all five boroughs. Nevertheless, the specific circumstances leading to Creedmoor’s closures have not been fully deciphered. The official narrative simply includes mention of the relocation of the current migrant populace to more appropriate locations scattered around the city.
The shelter first became operational in the summer season of 2023, amidst an escalating migrant crisis in New York City. The Creedmoor shelter, tucked away in the generally quiet borough of Eastern Queens, quickly became a temporary residence for over a thousand lone migrant men.
The decision not to extend the city’s leasing term for the shelter coincided with accusations levelled against the mayor, Adams, by a former federal prosecutor. Adams was accused of consenting to support former President Donald Trump’s immigration regulations in exchange for a dismissal of the charges of corruption and bribery put against him earlier.
The mightily contested Creedmoor shelter was embroiled in controversy even prior to opening its doors. The decision to convert the site into a refugee shelter in 2023 was met with strong resistance from local administration officials, mainly due to concerns about the suitability of the location.
Local representatives suggested that the remote aspects of the shelter would negatively impact both the migrants living there and the neighbouring community. A major concern noted by them was the lack of essential amenities such as strategic infrastructure and viable transportation options.
In an unexpected response, the shelter’s unveiling also fueled intensifying protests from certain locals. Anti-immigrant sentiments were rife, with unsubstantiated allegations being made that the transient migrant population would lead to heightened crime rates.
Fast forward to a year and a half since the shelter’s opening and critics say the shelter’s existence has led to a strain on local resources. Case in point being a local senior center which allegedly felt the brunt of the burden.
Despite concerns, there was no detectable increase in criminal activities that could be related to the new inhabitants of the Creedmoor shelter, a fact that officials made a point to mention.
During the shelter’s first days of operation in August 2023, migrants who had recently taken residence there expressed concerns to the Eagle newspaper about the asylum proceedings in America, and within the city in particular. Many said they found the along shelter comfortable, however expressed anxieties over the location and the asylum seeking process.
The remoteness of the shelter from areas bustling with job opportunities represented another challenge for the migrants residing there. Further conversations with them revealed that they would frequently board overcrowded buses for cleaning jobs in other parts of Queens.
The work was inconsistent, with calls to work being sporadic. The difficult commute posed another challenge. Nonetheless, they remained resolute in their determination and hopes of eventual family reunification.