Here in New York City, the first group of migrant families have been evicted from their temporary shelter as city officials begin to enforce a 60-day limit. About 40 migrant families were forced to leave a hotel in midtown Manhattan Tuesday, where many had been staying for over a year. Some reapplied for access to shelter, as they have nowhere else to go.

Zoe: “We’re human beings and need to be relocated, because we need a roof to stay under, even more now that it’s colder. They should think about the kids. I know it’s not an obligation, because they didn’t ask us to come here, but if you see what someone goes through for someone to arrive here, it is hard.”

The time restriction was imposed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams in October, claiming it was necessary to relieve the city’s shelter system that he says has been overwhelmed by the arrival of thousands of asylum seekers. About 70,000 migrants are currently being temporarily housed in hotels, tent camps and shelters for unhoused people. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander refuted Mayor Adams’s claims.

Brad Lander: “Everybody at The Row had a room. We’re kicking them out of their rooms. You can’t say we don’t have room. They’re in rooms. Do we need more money to provide more space? Yes. But I’ve talked to dozens of churches and synagogues and mosques who want to provide their space. We need federal help, but we also need better management from City Hall and some basic compassion.”

Meanwhile, another 500 migrant families were relocated from a massive south Brooklyn tent camp to a nearby high school Tuesday night as heavy rains and winds hit the area. The Floyd Bennett Field camp is set up on an isolated former airplane runway off the bay.