Protesters disrupted a press conference held by a delegation of Democratic lawmakers in New York in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. Lawmakers who are part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including Adriano Espaillat, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia Velazquez and Jerry Nadler, were meeting to discuss the plight of newly arrived migrants who were sheltering at the hotel known for providing assistance to these migrants, the NBC News reported.

The protesters, unhappy with the arrival of the migrants and the city’s obligation to provide shelter and basic services to them, interrupted the press conference with chants calling for the closure of the borders and the return of the migrants. According to NBC, “a mandate in place since 1981 requires New York City to provide shelter to every person in need. Adams has been seeking changes to that requirement”. This situation reflects an increase in similar protests in the city, especially since Mayor Eric Adams expressed concerns about the impact of migrants on the city.

New York City has faced a significant increase in the number of migrants seeking asylum, with more than 100,000 arriving the year before. This comes amid a housing crisis and overcrowded shelters. The city needs to provide shelter to all people in need, which has created significant challenges, with more than 200 emergency shelters open and a cost of more than $2 billion to date.

The delegation of Democratic lawmakers visited one of those shelters before the press conference to assess the dynamics of migration and learn about the conditions of the sheltered migrants. They also met with city officials and service providers who are supporting families seeking asylum.

According to the publication, after the press conference, Nydia Velázquez highlighted that she was positively impressed with the services offered to migrants, including mental health care and health services, as well as activities for children.

Mayor Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have requested federal support to address the growing need for housing, health care and financial care for migrants. They also asked for quick work permits for asylum seekers.

A federal assessment team was sent to the city to provide recommendations on how to manage the crisis, including information for migrants on how to get out of the shelter system and obtain work permits. In addition, the granting of Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans, who represent half of the migrants, was discussed as a way to make them less dependent on municipal services.

“Migrants who have arrived in the U.S. legally, via the Customs and Border Protection app known as CBP One or through a humanitarian parole program for a limited number of migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua, could be eligible for work authorization — which would eventually help them become less dependent on the shelter system. But without the city collecting that information, it’s difficult to know who might be able to work”, according to NBC.