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Biden’s migrants rave about NYC park shelter; free hot meals, snacks, WiFi and a pool

August 9, 2023 | | Print Article

The migrants/illegal aliens living in New York City are loving the latest shelter that was opened in Brooklyn’s McCarren Park thanks to its free WiFi, fancy cuisine, and even a pool.

“They treat us very well. There’s nothing they stop us from doing,” Miguel Mujica, a Venezuela migrant and 39-year-old father of two, told the New York Post this week.

Mujica has reportedly been staying at the park since Saturday, a day after the city transformed the park into a center for migrants.

“While his wife, 5-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son live out of a family migrant hotel in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where he said he was kicked out of for an undisclosed reason, the asylum-seeker has been enjoying taxpayer-funded amenities such as specially prepared Venezuelan cuisine and free WiFi and international calls at the center,” according to the Post.

He’s even taken advantage of the park’s massive pool.

“I brought my wife and children to the pool on Sunday, and there was no problem. We all swam between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. It’s a very nice pool,” he said.

He’s one of 56 migrants, all of them male, staying at McCarren Park.

According to the Post, he used to earn $40/month while working as a forensic pathology assistant in Venezuela. He’s now earning $700 to $800 a week working under the table performing demolition and construction work.

Besides earning more money, Mujica’s also living the high life.

“There’s no curfew at the shelter. They give us good hot food, which is freshly made; the food is very good. It’s mostly Venezuelan food. Pasta and rice with chicken, beef or goat. Lunch is mostly chicken and rice. Yesterday, I had a chicken cutlet. You can get water and juice whenever you want, no limit,” he explained to the Post.

There’s even 24/7 access to snacks and fruits, though not hot coffee.

“It’s good here. All the bathrooms and showers are in good condition. It’s not crowded. There is storage to keep our belongings safe and lots of cameras everywhere,” Mujica continued.

He and his family reportedly crossed into the U.S. back in  September, after which they came straight to NYC because “this is where the shelters are.”

“He had stayed at migrant hotels in Jamaica and Downtown Brooklyn, most recently being relocated after his Rockaway Boulevard hotel was requisitioned for families,. … He said he is saving to rent a place for him and his family while they enjoy free food and housing,” according to the Post.

“I don’t know how I will get out of the shelters, I really don’t know, but I want to rent somewhere of my own for me and my family. But everything is so expensive, and I cannot afford the $2,500 rent,” he said.

Though he’s currently working under the table, he has been trying to obtain a working permit. The process reportedly usually takes six months.

“I can’t work legally yet. I am in the process of getting a working permit. I applied one month ago. It’s faster for some people and slower for others,” Mujica said.

He’s also applied for asylum and has already been interviewed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, his next immigration court hearing isn’t scheduled til 2025.

“I understand the process is very slow because we are not hundreds who crossed the border, we are thousands, and that takes work to process. I came to America to make a better life for my family and earn a decent wage,”  he said.

Meanwhile, city officials were reportedly “racing” to erect more temporary shelters — this time at Randall’s Island soccer fields — by Wednesday and Thursday. Locals weren’t too pleased by this development.

“It’s not fair. [Mayor Adams] probably thinks he knows what he’s doing. He’s trying to give chances to more refugees. But he’s taking away chances from the soccer players,” Mamadou Bah, a high school student, complained to the Post.

“You could easily go to any of the fields on the Upper East Side, and they’re always packed. There is barely any space to play, so a lot of people come to Randall’s Island because it’s away from the city, it’s a little bit harder to access,” Michael Leon, a local soccer coach, added.

“So if you really want to play sports, you come here, and if this isn’t available, what do you really have? Just picnic areas, I guess, in Central Park. That’s it. Outdoor space in a city like New York City is so valuable. There has got to be another solution. They can’t be to the detriment of a child’s mental health in terms of just the freedom to be outside. You can’t really take that away from them,” he continued.

Vivek Saxena
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