STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Hundreds of people from Staten Island protested several new migrant shelters opening on the borough during a protest on Sunday outside of Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City mayors on the Upper East Side in Manhattan.
Curtis Sliwa, along with scores of protestors, called once again for Mayor Eric Adams to open Gracie Mansion to asylum-seekers, rather than place them in shelters across the five boroughs.
The crowd filled the sidewalks and a portion of the road in front of the building as Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder and former mayoral candidate, made remarks against the opening of new migrant shelters. Sliwa was later arrested during the event.
“Today, the valiant citizens of Staten Island have a 24-hour vigil outside of St. John Villa Academy for what would’ve been 300 illegals, there are now eight,” said Sliwa during the protest on Sunday. “And I have the feeling, just like Eric Adams’ recognized, he made another mistake when he sent the illegal aliens into the public schools in Coney Island and Sunset Park and he saw people of color, mothers and fathers of color, with their children, protesting outside. He understood he couldn’t win that battle, and he retreated. And he’s not going to win the battle of St. John Villa Academy.”
The New York Police Department warned protesters that if barriers set up for safety and security were tampered with or crossed over, they would be subject to arrest for obstructing governmental administration. Police officers then moved to arrest Sliwa and other civilians who moved against the barriers.
The arrest was Sliwa’s 80th — with his most recent arrest during a similar protest outside of Island Shores last week — a former assisted living facility located at 1111 Father Capodanno Blvd., which will transform into a shelter for migrants in the coming months, according to local officials.
Arrests were also made as the NYPD separated fights among opposing protesters, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The latest protest on Sunday comes after week-long protests and a lawsuit to shut down the former St. John Villa migrant shelter — which opened on Friday.
Another protest is scheduled to be held outside of the former St. John Villa on Monday evening at 6 p.m. — dubbed “Protest-a-Palooza” — which is circulating across social media. It is urging residents to join the event to “Say No! At NYC’s Biggest Block Party.”
ST. JOHN VILLA MIGRANT SHELTER
On Friday, a judge temporarily blocked the housing of migrants at the former St. John Villa Academy, but it was overturned a few hours later after an appeal by the city. The Appellate Court removed a vacate order, which allowed 25 migrants — females and adult families — already moved into the shelter to stay, according to City Hall.
Several Staten Island elected officials have requested the city institute a curfew at the Arrochar site.
After a tour of the site on Saturday with the city Office of Emergency Management (OEM) representatives, several Staten Island elected officials have requested the agency, which oversees the site, institute a curfew like that at city homeless shelters operated by Department of Social Services (DSS) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) said Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island). The letter is also signed by other elected officials who represent the area: State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn), Assemblyman Mike Tannousis (R-East Shore), Borough President Vito Fossella and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn).
City Hall sources say the Adams Administration is considering the curfew, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported.
On Wednesday night, residents and elected officials held a massive protest against the new shelter, with more than 1,000 people flooding the streets to voice their opposition to the city’s use of the site. The raucous crowd gathered along Landis Avenue outside the former school chanted about saving their children and sending the migrants back to their countries of origin.
A small number of protesters who gathered during the day on Thursday quickly grew in the evening to more than 200 people, with three arrested overnight for obstructing governmental administration and trespassing after breaching the police barriers that had been set up at the location.
On Staten Island, emergency shelters have been set up at several hotels and inside the former Richard H. Hungerford School on Tompkins Avenue in Clifton.
Other sites around the Island have been rumored as potential migrant shelters, including a Midland Beach assisted living facility and Fort Wadsworth, both of which have been met with outcry and protests from locals and elected officials.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
