NYC backtracks on housing migrants in school gyms after parent outrage
PS 172 dad Miguel Chico, who participated in the protests, argues school gyms are 'not the proper place' to house illegal immigrants.
New York City schools will not be used as a temporary shelter for migrants after drawing fierce backlash from the community and parents.
Brooklyn P.S. 172 parent Miguel Chico, who participated in protests this week, joined "Faulkner Focus" Thursday to discuss why he opposed the move. Host Harris Faulkner said "the parents won," forcing officials to reverse course.
"We have nothing against the immigrants. I come from immigrant families. The community is full of Hispanics. We just believe that a school gymnasium isn't a place to put these people in," said Chico, a father of two daughters.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams and city leaders are facing outrage from residents for their decision to place migrants in several public schools.
When asked about migrants being placed at another Brooklyn school, P.S. 188, New York City councilman Ari Kagan said Tuesday, "It is not a hotel, it's not a shelter. It is a school gym. So the children of Coney Island should not pay for the misguided policies of the Biden administration."
The plan was reportedly to extend to at least six more Brooklyn-area schools, outraging parents.
According to The New York Post, "The asylum seekers were set to be removed from PS 188 in Coney Island and moved to an undisclosed location in Manhattan by the end of Wednesday, sources said."
Other school gym shelters that haven’t yet been widely utilized — including Williamsburg’s PS 17/MS 577 and PS 18 — are also expected to be shut down soon, according to those familiar with the situation.
"The plan is to make sure school gyms are not used as shelters," New York City Councilman Ari Kagan told The Post soon after being alerted to the change in plans by NYC Emergency Management.
BROOKLYN, NY - May 16, 2023 - Students and parents from Public School MS 577 walk march around the school located at N 5th Street and Roebling Streets protesting Migrants being housed at the School gymnasium. The Migrants placed at the Gymnasium were removed around 2:00AM to unknown location in Staten Island after the City got wind of the planned protest. (Photo by Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
"The gymnasium was built for the children so they can have an education and they can have their gym. It's not a place for migrants to be put," said Chico.
"All the parents in the PTA organization, they just got together and we just all met out in front of the school. And we just organized and just protested and explained and made sure our voices were heard."
Chico described to his daughters why he and other families were opposed to placing the migrants at the school.
"We told our girls that no matter what, we still have to treat these people like human beings because at the end of the day, they are human beings. But a school gymnasium isn't a proper place for them to be placed. They need to be placed in an environment where it's healthy for them and where it's safe for them, where they can have fresh water, they can sleep comfortably. A school gymnasium isn't the proper place to put the people."