NYC Parents Fear Decision To Displace Students To Accommodate Migrants May Reoccur

Parents and politicians in Brooklyn have expressed outrage after students were displaced to accommodate migrants during a storm, fearing this may recur amid the ongoing migrant crisis.

Parents criticized the impact on education and taxpayer concerns. Users condemned the move online, attributing it to political choices, while some officials defended the decision, emphasizing safety amid weather-related concerns.

Politicians and parents of Brooklyn school students are angered as their children were told to leave school to accommodate nearly 2,000 migrants during a storm, raising concerns that this may become a recurring strategy amid the city's ongoing migrant crisis.

Assemblyman Michael Novakhov highlights the unpredictability of weather, stating: "We never know what's going to happen with the weather." He emphasized that schools should not serve as temporary shelters for migrants, adding, "They can be moved here again depending on the weather conditions."

He continued, "If the weather is bad again, are migrants supposed to be moved to this school again? Because schools are not the place for migrants — as simple as that."

The abrupt decision made by Mayor Eric Adams to transport hundreds of migrant families from a controversial tent shelter at Floyd Bennett Field to James Madison High School resulted in Madison High students switching to remote learning.

Frustrated parents like Maria criticized the move and emphasized the impact on taxpayers and students striving for education. "The writing was on the wall the minute the city started being inundated with migrants," Maria said, per NYP, "It's disgusting. It should not be put on us taxpayers."

Maria's teen daughter, who is a student at the school, also protested, adding, "I do believe they are putting the life of people who are here illegally and not documented over my life. I am a 15-year-old girl at the school who wants to get her education and better her life, and she can't come to school today because the day was interrupted by people who aren't supposed to be here."

Another parent, Elina Bekker, described the decision to make students stay home as "horrible." She explained, "We were concerned how will this affect those students in the future if it's a one-time thing. But if it's going to be a recurring event, it's definitely not acceptable."

Bekker continued, "The school should not be used. Our kids are supposed to be here feeling safe and able to learn. Many of our kids have Regents coming up in February [and] they just lost a day of school, a day of learning."

Online criticism of the move surged as social media users expressed their discontent over students being displaced by migrants at James Madison High School.

One commenter stated, "Our kids are kicked out of their schools and being replaced by ILLEGAL immigrants. Our veterans are kicked out to the streets and are being replaced by ILLEGAL immigrants. Americans are being replaced."

"We, as AMERICANS, mean NOTHING to this administration!! Illegals come before our American children! smh,” another said on TikTok.

Despite the backlash, city officials stood firm and justified that the relocation of migrants from Floyd Bennett Field was due to concerns about the tent's structural integrity during severe weather. The decision aimed to prevent potential collapse under heavy rain and winds.

Images shared by Adams on X, formerly known as Twitter, displayed the makeshift sleeping arrangements for migrants in the Madison High School gym, drawing attention to the uncomfortable conditions.

The city's Health and Hospitals Senior Vice President, Theodore Long, emphasized the priority of safety while acknowledging the challenges of providing comfortable lodging in such situations. He explained, per NYP: "Our goal was to make you, to do everything in our power to make you as comfortable while having your safety as a top priority."

He added, "That's why we did things like provide hot meals, blankets, pillows. But safety was of paramount importance to us, given that we want to make sure we're protecting the children."