NYC Will Move Migrant Tent Center Off Orchard Beach

Relocated to Randalls Island 

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By Dan Gesslein 

Bronx Voice 

October 4, 2022 

BRONX - Following a weekend of flooding and protesting, the city has decided to relocate the migrant tent city on Orchard Beach to Randalls Island. Flooding was cited for the change in policy. 

Mayor Eric Adams released a statement announcing that the tent city would be relocated to Randalls Island. Citing flooding as a major reason for the decision. 

Photo by David Greene

“Following this weekend's storms, New York City Emergency Management determined that, while we would be able to put in place the necessary ponding mitigation measures, relocating the Orchard Beach humanitarian relief center to Randall's Island is the most efficient and effective path forward, and work is underway to make this move,” Adams said. “This new location is less prone to flooding, is closer to public transportation, and will provide temporary respite to 500 asylum seekers. We expect this site to open in approximately the same timeframe as the originally planned location, and we continue to build out our options and explore additional sites as we handle this humanitarian crisis created by human hands.” 

Officials say Randalls Island, which currently has a number of homeless shelters, is a more suited location for the 500 migrants expected to be housed there. That island is less prone to flooding and has access to public transportation. Something Orchard Beach was lacking.

 

Over the weekend a number of protests and threats of a lawsuit hung over the construction of the tent city. News that city officials have changed their minds about housing the migrants near City Island came as welcome news to the protestors. 

“The people of the Bronx spoke. We demanded to not be a dumping ground for thousands of illegal immigrants, and we won!” said Congressional candidate Tina Forte. “I’ll call it like it is - every one of these liberal politicians supporting open borders and sanctuary city status should be adopting a migrant and placing them in their own home! If they are not willing to adopt a migrant themselves, then they are hypocrites.” 

The plan to house the busloads of migrants coming from the Texas border had angered north Bronx homeowners since it was unveiled. The Orchard Beach site was remote on its own but was within walking distance of City Island and Pelham Bay, two home owner communities where space is at a premium due to record number of houses being rented out.