Adams admin ‘definitely’ mulling curfews at NYC migrant shelters amid panhandling complaints
New York — The Adams administration is “definitely” considering instituting curfews at all migrant shelters in the city amid complaints about residents at some of them venturing into nearby neighborhoods at night to beg for money, the Daily News has learned.
Molly Schaeffer, director of Mayor Adams’ Office of Asylum Seeker Operations, revealed the curfew considerations during a closed-door migrant crisis briefing with local lawmakers Thursday. She did so after Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican, asked why the so-called HERRC shelters, which only house migrants, aren’t subject to curfews when traditional Department of Homeless Services shelters typically are.
“We’re definitely looking into a curfew across the system, we’ll get back to folks on that,” Schaeffer said of the HERRC system during the closed-door meeting.
In a reference to the fact that many migrants in the city work nighttime jobs, such as food delivery gigs, Schaeffer continued: “We obviously want to make sure that people have the ability to work, and that it’s worth giving as many opportunity for people to work as possible, but we’re looking into it across the system.”
Ariola told Schaeffer a curfew is a good idea because “we’re beginning to see more and more migrants entering adjacent communities, and begging at front doors and such at all hours of the day and night.”
“So a curfew would be helpful for the adjacent neighboring homeowners,” Ariola added.
After the briefing, Ariola, whose Howard Beach-based district isn’t home to any HERRCs, said in a text message that migrants living at the sprawling emergency shelter at Floyd Bennett Field have started going to the Rockaways to ask local residents for money, food and clothes. The news outlet
The City recently reported a similar trend is playing out in southern Brooklyn’s Marine Park, a reliably Republican neighborhood where some anti-migrant sentiment has taken root, resulting in hostilities.
Spokespeople for the mayor did not immediately return requests for comment on details about a potential HERRC curfew, including what the cutoff time for access would be.
Residents of Department of Homeless Services shelters generally have 11 p.m. curfews.
“These [HERRC] sites should have the exact same curfews as the ones currently in place at our DHS shelters, unless a reasonable accommodation is granted,” Ariola said.
New York Immigration Coalition Executive Director Murad Awawdeh, whose group has helped welcome migrants to the city since 2022, said the Adams administration is focusing on the wrong issue in pushing for HERRC curfews in response to complaints about migrant begging.