NYC schools to house more migrants, parents angry.

New York Schools to Temporarily House Migrants in Gyms, Sparking Parental Outrage

Updated 4:28 PM – Monday, May 15, 2023

At least six more schools in New York are about to start temporarily housing incoming migrants in their gyms, setting off a Monday riot among parents terrified for their children’s safety and worried about potential disruptions to their education.

• PS 172 in Sunset Park
• PS 189 close to Prospect-Lefferts Gardens
• PS 18 and PS 132, both in Williamsburg
• MS 577 and PS 17 share a gym, making it one of five Brooklyn elementary schools that may soon house asylum seekers in their gymnasiums as New York City attempts to deal with the escalating migrant problem.

“To bus people to our school and expect the community to absorb them is just insane,” said Virginia Vu, a PTA member and parent at a middle school in Brooklyn.

According to other parents who spoke to the press, schools MS 577 and PS 17 share a gym, making it one of five Brooklyn elementary schools that may soon house asylum seekers in their gymnasiums as New York City attempts to deal with the escalating migrant problem.

As city officials attempted to organize the new migrant sites on Monday, cots had already been set up within the gymnasiums of MS 577 and PS 17.

“The school will be under lockdown all day,” Vu said, also mentioning how there was a likely chance that outdoor after-school activities would be axed altogether.

Several parents at PS 172 and MS 577 have stated that they plan to demonstrate in front of their respective schools on Tuesday morning. A mother with an 11-year-old student attending MS 577 told the press she had been posting fliers around the area to advertise an upcoming rally against the influx of migrants being housed in school gyms.

A City Hall spokesperson made a statement on Monday.

“As we’ve been saying for months, we are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, having opened approximately 150 emergency sites, including eight large-scale humanitarian relief centers, to serve more than 65,000 asylum seekers… As the mayor has said, nothing is off the table as we work to fill our moral mandate, but we should all expect this crisis to affect every city service. We will continue to communicate with local elected officials as we open more emergency sites.”

Parents are outraged as New York schools prepare to temporarily house incoming migrants in their gyms. At least six schools are set to be affected, sparking fears for children’s safety and education. The schools include PS 172 in Sunset Park, PS 189 close to Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, PS 18 and PS 132, both in Williamsburg, and MS 577 and PS 17, which share a gym. City officials have already set up cots in the gymnasiums of MS 577 and PS 17, and parents are concerned that their children will be trapped inside the school all day, with outdoor activities likely to be cancelled. Some parents are even considering removing their children from the school altogether. A City Hall spokesperson has stated that the migrant crisis will affect every city service, and that more emergency sites will be opened.

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