NYC opens Randall's Island migrant shelter for up to 3,000 people

The city opened their newest migrant shelter site on Randall's Island Sunday afternoon. 

There are a total of six tents for single and married adults at the center. The site was fully funded by New York State. 

The first bus of asylum seekers arrived Sunday afternoon. Their first stop is the medical intake center. Then they’ll be linked with a caseworker. 

After that, they go to the dorms.

This site will hold up to 3,000 people.

Everyone will get a cot, a lock box for their things and a QR code to scan in and out of the tents. 

Workers at new migrant shelters under construction on Randall's Island in New York, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Last fall, the city had a similar site on Randall’s Island. 

At that point, the city says they had about 15,000 migrants in their care, but today they have roughly 60 thousand . 

"We’re keeping the things that worked well for example we want to make sure people can make it into any part of New York City to find jobs or be reunited with friends and family members," Dr. Ted Long, of New York City Health + Hospitals said. 

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The message remains the same as it was last year, the city says they need a decompression strategy.

Workers at new migrant shelters under construction on Randall's Island in New York, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Emergency Management First Deputy Commissioner Christina Farrell says federal help is desperately needed.

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"You can see emergencies happening in California, Hawaii following that model, and we’ve not had that full support here in NYC, and we need that," Farrell said. 

While there’s no exact deadline for how long people can stay, the goal is to help people settle in more permanent homes as soon as possible.

Randall's Island and Ward's Island