Mayor Eric Adams greets asylum seekers and their children at Port Authority on Aug. 7. They had arrived in New York City from Texas. (Photo: @NYCMayor)
Aug. 19, 2022 By Czarinna Andres
Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday that the city has launched a program to help families seeking asylum enroll their children in public school.
The city estimates that at least 1,000 children of asylum-seeking families will enter the public school system next month, with most of the students located within six school districts– districts 2, 3, 10, 14, 24 and 30. Districts 24 and 30 are in western Queens.
The program, called Project Open Arms, aims to support these families, by ensuring that their children are ready to start school on Sept. 8, the first day.
Adams’ office says that more than 6,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York from border states since May. Most have arrived from Texas, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott busing undocumented immigrants from the Lone Star state to the New York City and Washington D.C.
School Districts in NYC (Courtesy of the DOE).
“Our city has been, and will always be, a city of immigrants that welcomes newcomers with open arms,” Adams said. “Project Open Arms ensures we are well prepared to assist asylum-seekers as the school year begins and that we are offering wraparound services to students and families.”
The project, a multiagency initiative, aim to simplify the school enrollment process, provide backpacks and school supplies for the students, offer support in the immigrants’ native languages, and offer extracurricular activities targeted to students’ needs and interests. The project also aims to make sure that “school curricular and instructional resources are culturally and linguistically responsive.”
The project also aims to connect asylum-seeking families to health care clinics for ongoing pediatric care.
“Our public schools are prepared to welcome families seeking asylum with open arms,” said DOE Chancellor David Banks. “Our city has always stood with those in need of refuge and shelter and this administration will continue that proud legacy.”
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53 Comments
Reading the last couple of comments, I’ve seen ‘Liberal Infested,’ ‘Invaders,’ ‘New World Order,’ and all manner of other insults from the ‘Let’s Go Brandon / Three Word Chanting’ crowd. Do you proud patriots ever stop to think why us normies are starting to think you may be part of what’s going wrong in this country? How much more of a jump is it going to take before the calls to exterminate the people you don’t like start up? This country is down the toilet if we don’t stop the brain rot coming from within, as much as the serious problems without.
Let’s blame liberals!
we have a democrat president and a democrat controlled congress who undid the republican presidents policies which now have left the border wide open and then thought it was cute to not give any funding to the republican states that were overwhelmed by the wave of illegals coming thru their state…all the big mouth liberals who called the republican governors of those states racist for not bankrupting their budgets to support this wave of illegals are now having to deal with it themselves…and they are crying like babies exposing themselves as the frauds they are…Mayor Adams has a budget bigger than 48 states with a city of 8.5 million people and he is complaining that we are overwhelmed by a few thousand people on buses….imagine being in a border town with a population of 40k and having a few thousand of these freeloaders dumped on you without federal aid from the phonies in Washington who created this mess. So not republicans…but nice try
Trump’s entire plan for security was a “one time payment” from Mexico, shock — that never happened!
I agree, orange states are bussing their problems to blue states. I guess that’s what they mean by “fiscally conservative?”
I know it sucks that Texas is bussing illegal immigrants to NYC as a childish political stunt and I know it sucks that our public schools are already in shambles and we don’t need the extra baggage.
But come on, it’s not like these kids chose to be born in an impoverished crime ridden country with no way out but to be orphaned at the border. At the end of the day they’re just kids. They need an education and a safe place to live and grow up just like we’d all want for our own kids. I think how we treat them says a lot about who we are.
By all means, get mad at the politicians or the circumstances that created this situation, but just let these kids live and learn for gods sake.
no its not the kids choice & creates a very sad situation…but send them to public schools on the upper west side & other liberal infested areas and see if some of the rhetoric changes..oh wait nothing will change they will just put their kids in private school or move to their second homes outside of nyc oh and p.s. nyc is a santuary city so provide the santuary you voted for
Letter to the Editor:
It would be amazing if Our moron mayor could focus on crime and our pathetic president would close the border!!!
Why as a long time NYer who actually has a job and pays her taxes does my kids school have to roll out the red carpet to illegal children and crowd the schools?!?!?!?!
He was just talking about cutting the budget!!! So more money taken away from my kids to these migrants! It’s absurd any way you spin it.
When does this insanity stop?
Let’s force everyone to get a vaccine that doesn’t work for the most part, Fire good people who don’t get it, let people into a country with no test, no vax, give sec 8 voucher housing and yes even a school bag filled with everything I just spent $100 on at Staples.
Can you explain this to me or point me in the direction of someone who might give a shit?!
We all hate this, but it’s two stupid political stunts gone wrong, on top of 50+ years of bad policies across multiple administrations (there’s a reason why we can’t work with Central and South America to cooperate on fixing this). The result is we all suffer – we who pay taxes and the people fleeing poverty/crime/war. The Right denies these people due process, criminalizes everything border related, and bogs the courts down to the point where they can’t focus on the real criminals. Meanwhile, the Left tries to be humane in the face of an actual humanitarian crisis, but our border is so overwhelmed, no one can really keep a lid on it. Working and upwardly mobile immigrants make Queens, but the overt poverty and crime we all see can’t be ignored. Honestly, I agree that Adams’ approach was all wrong now that it’s his problem, but I also think that tree crushed the wrong half of Greg Abbott. The more we fight and belittle each other, the meaner we get, and the better chance the real crazies begin to control how the problem is ‘solved.’ Comment Sections on any platform are the real enemy of civil discourse.
You have no class, Larry! You libs think you own the Hispanic vote and that people who actually live here like this invasion and all the problems it brings . Grow up and get out of your mom’s basement. You leftists really take the prize!
Poor letter to the editor, obviously an article pasted from Fox News on line. The vaccines have returned your hospital system back to you. So,they obviously do work. Don’t believe your eyes believe what people with a history of telling lies tell you. Our mayor is focused on crime and plenty of other issues as well. Do you focus on just one issue at your “actual” job? If you did you’d be fired. I work too so you’re not the only one who works posting this stream. The insanity will stop when you stop falling for Republican populism.
Many migrants that arrive have the same socialist views as our progressive elected leaders and voters. You speak to some of them and you’ll find out that one of the reasons that they came to this country is because they feel that their governments are not doing enough to provide and assist them financially. They believe that governments should take care of the us. They come knowing assistance will be provided and that they will be better off. They are schooled in what to say and what they would get via social media. Same is happening in EU.
What is this nonsense of the government should provide and assist financially???
You won’t work, you can’t stay here!
@Maria(a Hashtagger alias) – When did you actually speak to one of these people?
I am glad texas is sending them here. We can provide the help they desperately need. https://gothamist.com/news/texas-gov-busing-asylum-seekers-to-nyc-may-unintentionally-offer-them-stronger-safety-nets
We’re all tapped out in the real world.
That’s the problem with you liberals. You give freely… other people’s things, rights and access to the county’s resources.
Republicans are literally sending people from their state to use our things, rights and access to the county’s resources. Did you read the title of the article? ?
Well teachers were complaining about funding cuts because enrollment is down, these migrants are just what they’re looking for…boost those numbers, keep’em coming.
It’s not enrollment, it’s how everyone refuses to pay anything. Yet the kids come in to school with five hundred dollar phones, toys all over the place and junk food. But heaven forbid anything healthy or school related makes it into the building.
Mexicans? Are you sleepy old timers that out of the loop? Why would a Mexican want to come to the U.S. when jobs are plentiful in Mexico? These are Mostly Central Americans, who were paid by drug cartels to sit on luxury tour busses and sent to the border to disrupt U.S. Border Patrol. They have succeeded, and now the cartels can move billions of dollars of illegal drugs into to the U.S. unimpeded. Are you all that uninformed. In fact, things are so good in Mexico (away from cartels held border states) that many Americans are retiring there. You old timers need to either keep up with the times, or just be quite and go back to knitting socks in your rocking chair. SMH
In texas, Arizona and New Mexico there are cars that have different license style license plates. You wanna know why??? They’re from Mexico and the drivers work here.
GET THAT??? They take out 15 dollars an hour and take it home and buy 6 three liter bottles of coke!!
Please!
youre right..all the illegals ive seen interviewed lately are from venezuela..most are well dressed able bodied young men who think they are wanted here & never fail to thank biden..the thought of trying to come into the US legally doesnt register with them Finish that Wall..Close the Border
They actually tell you they are here illegally???
Aiding and abetting!!!?
Most of the people on the buses are Venezuelan and Colombian.
The statement that we will always welcome newcomers is stupid. What is the purpose of laws? Let’s let 20 million Mexicans in. Let everyone come.
When they can’t find jobs and are homeless let’s demonstrate and demand housing for all. When they commit crime let’s defund the police, empty out Rikers and liberalize the bail laws. And yell that people of color are unfairly being incarcerated. Jessica, AOC , Tiffany and Gianaris are licking their chops.
Yes, let’s now give them social security, unemployment, free housing, food, Mets tickets. Blah, blah. I think I’ll leave this country, go to Mexico and come back. Then I’ll get all of these benefits. Yay.
Good. If you want to declare a “sanctuary city” be prepared to ante up. I hope Texas keeps sending them. Send a few to Martha’s Vineyard and the Hamptons too.
Malarkey ! We Cosby take care of American students !
For those complaining, move to a place where your tax dollars don’t go to things you don’t like.
i’m going to ask my employer to no longer withhold NY state and NYC income taxes from my pay anymore. sick and tired of this.
Oh cool
! We can’t take care of our own students so let’s put in invaders !
Adams may be worse than deblasio
Pope Francis said the fundamental rights and dignity of migrants must be protected, and “particular concern must be shown for migrant children and their families.” The pope said migration is not about numbers, but people, and “these persons, our brothers and sisters, need ongoing protection, independently of whatever migrant status they may have.”
The Pope is a socialist, New World Order, Globalist tool. He doesnt give a hoot about Scripture and I say that as a Catholic.
Pope Francis can house them in the Vatican
You know, the Vatican is a walled city, how funny is that. Walls do work.
Great comparison, a village of 450 people to a country of 329.5 million ?
Why didn’t it stop the assassination attempt, or the sex crimes for which there was a trial in Oct 2020? I guess Walls Don’t Work?
The New York City public school system should hire more social and psychologists. The migrant children have been through so much and we must help them. Maybe one of our local city officials can start a GoFundMe or program where these children receive notebooks pens backpacks all the things families need in order to send their children to school. Julie Won please help.
My teacher assistant who happened to speak Spanish was a godsend when I taught Elementary School. You cannot teach in a New York City public school without knowing Spanish or having somebody to translate for you. Bilingual Spanish should be a priority for all new staff hired.
Did you teach Special Education? Those are the classrooms that usually hire spanish speaking teaching assistants.
You two are completely ridiculous. We don’t have teacher assistants here, we have paraprofessionals.
God bless Mayor Adams and the migrant families and children.
the more the merrier. send all of south america here. hopefully the governor will quadruple income and real estate taxes to pay for it all. enjoy! i know i will!
I hope the enjoy the crap vegan food he has served in Fridays.
I feel for these people. I truly do but, they are many people in this city who are struggling themselves and need help. And it seems that we here as tax paying citizens of this country get pushed in back of the line.
Only 1000? We need at least 1 million migration from south America. If you disagree with it, you are Trump supporter and racist.
Once again Adams always changing the story for the press depending on his approval ratings. https://nypost.com/2022/08/07/mayor-eric-adams-greets-latest-border-crossers-in-nyc/
It hilarious that it wasn’t a crisis until illegal immigrants were shipped across NYC’s and DC’s borders. Even more so when their mayors rail against TX and not the Federal govt (Biden/Harris). Really makes them look like tone deaf, ignorant hypocrites.
You left out an important part. Adams also asked the feds for more money to support the illegal immigrants. That’s an important caveat. This game doesn’t work if the politicians that we have don’t have the money to pay for running their schemes.
This country never found a way to replace its free labor. Same people crying about illegals are the same people crying that their Walgreens closed, or crying that ham is more expensive, or cruising the Home Depot looking for someone to build their backyard deck. Welcome!
Adams and his big mouth talking about we can accommodate these people. Meanwhile, we have a good $60,000 New Yorkers that are homeless right here. How about he focus on those people… Go woke, go broke.
Ny is a sanctuary state, so we should be glad these immigrants are coming here instead of suffering from lack of illegal immigrant rights and benefits in Texas!!
For the past two years the US Govt has been bringing them to NY by the plane load to Westchester county airport every week.
Media was saying the Texas governor bused in 50 to 100 people last week for the 1st time and Adams claimed some were forced into coming to NYC. Now Adams claims 6,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York from border states since May and that most have arrived from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott busing them to NY. Once again Adams being honest and flip flopping on issues playing both sides of the fence. The Biden administration send most of them. Adam is getting ready for a future presidential run. Just like the dining sheds. Lets knock one down for a photo op that no one is using and then go on to say the ones in use will remain permanent and not going no where. At least deblasio was upfront and honest about what he wanted to do without trying to confuse most of us.