Elementary school gym turned into migrant shelter despite community outrage — ‘No timeframe’ regarding when building will be returned to children, says NYC council member



A Coney Island elementary school gym has been converted into a “temporary” shelter for at least 75 migrants, despite outrage from local residents.

Two days prior to the migrants’ arrival, parents were informed by PS 188 Principal Leslie King that the school’s gym was chosen as one of the “emergency, temporary sites to house individuals and families who are seeking asylum.”

King’s letter to parents noted that “several families will be utilizing the stand-alone gym at your school on a short-term basis.”

Republican New York City Council member Ari Kagan called the city’s notification process “totally unacceptable” and noted that “no timeframe” regarding when the facility would be returned to the school was given.

\u201cMigrants at school gym ? Community deserves answers!\u201d
— Council Member Ari Kagan (@Council Member Ari Kagan) 1683908706

The school-district community board torched city officials for failing to give advanced notice.

“The [Community Board] 13 office staff has been struggling all day to get the most basic information from various agencies regarding how many people will be housed there, for what length of time, whether the individuals have been screened for communicable diseases, what measures are in place to provide services, etc.,” the board wrote in a statement.

Kagan accused Democratic Mayor Eric Adams’ administration of intentionally keeping residents in the dark.

“This is why they didn’t notify people, because they knew the community would be against it,” he stated.

Democratic City Council member Justin Brannan called the location “puzzling” and noted on Sunday that it is still “unclear how long they will need to stay.”

The New York Post reported that on Sunday evening, migrants could be seen hanging out around the stand-alone gym located adjacent to the elementary school.

A Coney Island resident told the Post, “Why a school? That’s the part I don’t get. There’s always other options. A lot of the buildings around here, they have fallout shelters that are spacious and used for emergencies.”

Antuan, a 21-year-old Venezuelan migrant, told the news outlet that officials informed him that he would be staying in the school gym only until Monday.

“They put us here because they don’t want us out on the streets,” he stated. “They’re processing us, giving us our paperwork, and then we leave.”

The school’s safety agents expressed concern about the decision.

Hank Sheinkopf, a spokesperson for the Local 237 Teamsters labor union, told the Post, “School Safety Agents are trained to protect children, not migrants. National Guard and federal assistance are needed. We protect City school children. That’s our responsibility. Not migrants.”

City Hall press secretary Fabien Levy told the news outlet Sunday night that the city is opening emergency shelters to house migrants, “but we are out of space.”

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DC council advances bill that would permit resident noncitizens to vote in local elections: 'They ... deserve a right to have a say in their government'



The Washington, D.C., council has just advanced a bill that would permit all resident noncitizens to vote in local elections.

On Tuesday, the so-called "Local Resident Voting Rights Act of 2021" passed with a 12-1 vote. The bill would alter the language of the D.C. official code so that anyone who is "a citizen of the United States or, for the purposes of a local 38 election, is a permanent resident of the United States" (emphasis added) may participate in elections to determine district mayor, chairman or member of the city council, attorney general, members of the state board of education, advisory neighborhood commissioner, and any "initiative, referendum, recall, or charter referendum on a District ballot."

Though a handful of D.C. suburbs, including Hyattsville, Maryland, already have similar laws in place, this bill marks the first time that a proposal to allow noncitizens to vote has advanced to the full council.

Many councilmembers cheered the outcome.

"Our immigrant neighbors of all statuses participate, contribute and care about our community in our city. They, like all D.C. residents, deserve a right to have a say in their government," said D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen, who introduced the bill at the legislative session on Tuesday.

Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, who introduced the bill last summer, remarked at the time that people "who have made their permanent homes here should have a hand in who represents them in government. The District of Columbia has long been a place that has welcomed immigrants into our community, and it’s time to allow for their full participation in our institutions."

Despite the enthusiasm expressed by councilmembers, there is still some controversy about whether the bill might actually permit illegal immigrants to participate in local elections as well. A Committee Report filed on September 28 states that "the Committee Print expands the bill’s provisions to include all non-citizen residents, and it does not distinguish between arbitrary immigration statuses."

It also adds that all immigrants, "whether naturalized citizens, permanent residents, asylum seekers, DACA recipients, undocumented residents, or otherwise, all contribute to the District and are essential to the fabric of our community."

The lone dissenting voice in the council vote, Councilmember Mary Cheh, likewise expressed concern that the bill would grant the right to vote to immigrants who were recently bused into the district from Texas and who otherwise satisfy the age and 30-day residency requirements. Cheh believes that the residency requirement should be extended to longer than 30 days.

This vote came after just the first reading. The bill must go through a second reading before it is presented to Mayor Muriel Bowser for approval. Even if Bowser signs it, however, the bill would then face congressional approval, which is by no means certain. Perhaps in anticipation of this bill, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) introduced a bill back in August that would prohibit illegal noncitizens from voting in D.C. elections.

Trudeau's failed UN campaign cost taxpayers $2.4 million, not including overseas investments

The $2.4 million figure doesn't include the nearly $2 billion in overseas aid sent to prove to the UN that Canada is deserving of the seat.