Migrants temporarily evacuated from repurposed NYC prison due to plumbing issue: City Hall
Manhattan prison housing migrants evacuated after plumbing issue
A former Manhattan prison, which is being used to house migrants, was evacuated on Saturday due to a plumbing issue, according to an official statement. The Lincoln Correctional Facility in Harlem had just recently been converted into a migrant “respite center” and had opened its doors to migrants on Thursday. However, sometime during the afternoon on Saturday, the plumbing issue was discovered. Officials immediately evacuated the facility and some of the migrants were moved out of town while the issue was being resolved. A city hall spokesperson confirmed that “the issue has been resolved and all asylum seekers still on site are able to return inside.”
The former correctional facility can accommodate around 500 people and is being used mainly to house single adult men. Since the migrant crisis began, city officials have been scrambling to find suitable accommodation for the newcomers, with the Mayor estimating that it will ultimately cost the city more than $4.3 billion through next spring. As part of this effort, busloads of migrants have been shipped to motels and hotels elsewhere in the state. In addition to the former prison, the governor has announced that an airport hangar at JFK airport will be converted to create a large space to house the surge of migrant newcomers.
FAQs:
What happened at the Lincoln Correctional Facility?
A plumbing issue was discovered at the former Manhattan prison, which had just opened its doors to migrants on Thursday. Officials evacuated the facility and some of the migrants were temporarily moved out of town while the issue was being resolved.
Was anyone hurt?
No injuries were reported.
What is the Lincoln Correctional Facility?
The former correctional facility is now being used as a migrant “respite center” and can accommodate around 500 people. It is mainly used to house single adult men.
How many migrants were moved out of the facility?
A handful of migrants were sent to Albany, while another 18 were taken to Saint Brigid’s, a former Catholic church in the East Village that has opened its doors to migrants.
What is the cost of the migrant crisis?
Mayor Eric Adams has estimated that the migrant crisis will cost the city more than $4.3 billion through next spring.
City Hall announces temporary evacuation of migrants from a former NYC prison due to plumbing problem
Hundreds of migrants who recently moved into a repurposed former Manhattan prison were temporarily evacuated on Saturday after a plumbing issue caused the pipes to burst. The shuttered Lincoln Correctional Facility in Harlem had just opened its doors to migrants on Thursday when the issue was discovered during the afternoon. Turkish migrant Hussain Uzun said the building was in poor condition and the plumbing had “exploded”. City officials later confirmed that the migrants had been temporarily relocated to other facilities, with some bused to Albany, before being allowed back inside. The former jail is being used as a migrant “respite center” for single adult men. Mayor Eric Adams estimates the crisis will cost the city more than $4.3 billion through next spring as officials scramble to find space for the newcomers.