A new 2,200-bed migrant shelter has commenced operations in the South Bronx, New York City, despite significant opposition from local residents and officials. The facility, located at 825 E. 141st St., began accepting migrants on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
The shelter’s opening has sparked controversy within the community. At a recent community board meeting, residents expressed concerns about safety and the lack of prior consultation. Judy Kudlow, an artist operating a nearby art school, stated, “I have young women who come to me to study. I have never been afraid in the South Bronx, I am now terrified…I’m terrified for me, for my students. I will have to move… You have made a terrible mistake.”
Local officials have also criticized the decision. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson condemned the city’s approach, highlighting the absence of community engagement and suggesting the site could have been used to create over 2,000 jobs. Similarly, Congressman Ritchie Torres accused the city of treating the Bronx as a “dumping ground” for shelters, emphasizing the borough’s history of being overlooked and oversaturated with such facilities.
In response, the mayor’s office noted that while the new shelter is opening, plans are underway to close 46 other migrant shelters across the city, reducing the total shelter bed count by 10,000 by June. This includes the closure of the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Manhattan, which is expected to save taxpayers millions of dollars.
The facility, a 275,000-square-foot former warehouse, is owned by SoBro Local Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the South Bronx. Despite the organization’s mission, community members feel the shelter’s establishment was imposed without adequate consultation or consideration of local needs.
The city continues to prioritize migrants over its own citizens, forcing shelters into communities already struggling with crime and economic hardship. New Yorkers face rising costs and declining public safety, yet taxpayer dollars fund massive migrant facilities without local approval. The opposition from Bronx residents highlights growing frustration with failed immigration policies and leadership that ignores American citizens’ concerns.
