Migrants Turn Down BK Shelter Stay Because Of Poor Conditions: Pols

BROOKLYN, NY — Some migrants turned around and got right back on a bus that had brought them to Floyd Bennett Field over the weekend, citing poor conditions and the shelter's location, according to two elected officials.

Some 25 families totaling 100 people were expected to arrive this weekend at the Brooklyn facility that advocates have said is "woefully" inadequate for families, according to city Council Member Joann Ariola.

When many arrived Sunday, some refused to stay. City officials told the Daily News there were no alternative accommodations for people who refused to stay at Floyd Bennett.

"[Some] immediately returned to the buses, refusing to stay, for various reasons such as location, conditions and the proximity of the schools where their children are registered," Ariola said.

"These are some of the same reasons we have [been] noting that Floyd Bennett Field is an ill-conceived location for a migrant base camp."

The setup would have families sleeping in tents split into pods that are "extremely cramped," far from bathrooms, lacking storage and a kitchen and not completely private, said advocates with the Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless.

"Enormous tents filled with tiny cubicles in what feels like the middle of nowhere is not in any way an appropriate setting for families with kids. It’s really unimaginable that anyone thought this was a good idea," said David Giffen, executive director of Coalition for the Homeless.

Children would have a very hard time getting to-and-from school from the remote facility with shuttles running only every 90 minutes, according to The Legal Aid Society.

Multiple parents told PIX 11 this was a primary factor for leaving the facility Sunday. Multiple people told PIX 11 and city representatives they were not aware of where they were being brought.

"I am very grateful for everything that they've given us but we can't stay here. I have four kids with asthma," a mother told PIX 11. "It's too far."

City officials contend they have no better options.

"We have used every possible corner of New York City and are quite simply out of good options to shelter migrants," a representative of Mayor Eric Adams' office told the Daily News.

Other officials, like Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and state Assembly Member Jaime Williams, have encouraged a more empathetic approach.

"They must be scared," Williams said in a video posted to Facebook.