Adams admin to begin settling migrant families with children at Floyd Bennett Field: source

Mayor Adams’ administration is expected to begin settling migrant families into a controversial shelter the city has erected at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field as early as Sunday, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Just under two dozen families with children will be among the first to go to the defunct airfield in the desolate part of Brooklyn on Sunday as part of the ongoing migrant crisis. The source, who was not authorized to publicly speak on the matter, said local members of the New York City Council were given the heads up on the city’s decision as a courtesy.

Spokespeople for Adams did not immediately return requests for comment Saturday evening.

During a tour of the site late last month, Emergency Management Commissioner Zachary Iscol said there are a total of four dormitory tents at the site, with others that serve as an intake center, a 24/7 cafeteria and a space for migrant kids to do homework and for parents to make phone calls.

The move to open Floyd Bennett Field comes amid opposition from local lawmakers over the city’s decision to place them in what they argue are not ideal conditions for migrants, citing the fact that the land rests in a designated floodplain. Advocates for migrants have also raised concerns over the conditions to house migrant families with children in so-called “pods,” which lack total privacy, no kitchen and communal bathrooms.

Of worries over the migrant settled in a floodplain, Iscol said at the time of the tour that migrants at Floyd Bennett would be evacuated in the event of an extreme weather event.

The sprawling site, which President Biden’s administration granted permission for the city to use in August in a deal brokered by Gov. Hochul, sits atop federal land.

For months, the site’s expected use for migrants has stirred controversy, with Republican City Councilwoman Joann Ariola suing the city to block the plan from moving forward. Curtis Sliwa, the 2021 GOP mayoral candidate, has organized demonstrations outside the field. Ariola has also called for round-the-clock protests outside the site.

The migrant crisis began last year when a steady stream of arrivals coming mostly from Latin American countries were being bused to New York City as they sought asylum. The city has looked after a total of over 136,000 migrants, of which over 65,600 remain in its care.