Former Police Academy in NYC converts into shelter for new asylum seekers

Published May 5, 2023 7:06 PM EDT

Dozens of new asylum seekers, took their first steps in New York City late Thursday night.

Four buses arrived to drop migrants off at a new temporary shelter on East 20th Street in Gramercy.

The nine-story building is a former NYPD police academy, and will temporarily house people as the city expects for an influx of newcomers. 

Although the site is no longer used as a training facility, the NYPD still has offices there. 

The city says they’ve opened 10 new shelters in the past week and need other options.

In a statement, a city hall spokesperson says:

The Executive Director of the NY Immigration Coalition says they’ve been working with the city to set up emergency shelters but ultimately, a permanent solution needs to be the goal.

New York CityImmigrationU.S. Border SecurityNYPD