It’s all fun and games until liberal policies directly affect the lawmakers who implemented them. Usually, watching Democrats reap what they sow is something conservatives enthusiastically enjoy, but this time, the situation is so absurd it’s no longer entertaining to watch. The sanctuary city of New York threw students out of a school to shelter illegal immigrants ahead of a massive storm front. And Democratic Assemblywoman Jaime Williams has had enough.
Williams had made waves earlier this week when she discovered that illegal immigrants had cars. She shot footage of immigrants rushing out of a Brooklyn shelter to stop tow trucks from removing their vehicles. She was shocked to see one immigrant waving a title to a car in front of a tow truck driver.
At least five vehicles unlawfully parked outside Floyd Bennett Field were reportedly towed on Friday night, as per the New York Post. In a video shared by Williams, a couple of the vehicles seem to be SUVs, and another looks like a pickup truck. Williams said she counted five cars and one truck, noting that none of these vehicles had license plates.
Williams’s attempts to discover where the illegal immigrants had obtained their cars were stonewalled, leaving her with more questions than answers. She notes it is an abuse of taxpayer dollars and says, “We have lawlessness happening in New York City and specifically in my district in the southeast side of Brooklyn. So, now myself and our residents have become benefactors of the lawlessness of these migrants.”
On Tuesday, the illegal immigrant crisis in New York City dealt Williams and hundreds of families with school-aged children another blow. There was a mass evacuation of 500 families with children, totaling nearly 2,000 people, from a large tent shelter in southern Brooklyn in anticipation of heavy rains and high winds. Over a dozen buses were arranged to transport the evacuees to James Madison High School, a few miles away, where they would spend the night.
The migrants were initially slated to depart before the start of classes, but the high school canceled all in-person and remote learning on Wednesday. The decision sparked bitter criticism from parents and lawmakers.
Republican Assemblyman Michael Novakhov held a rally protesting the choice to evacuate migrants to the school. Councilwoman Inna Vernikov posted on social media that the city was unfairly burdening James Madison students, who were “forced to bear the brunt of the migrant crisis.”
For Williams, it was a step too far. Calling the incident “disruptive,” Williams expressed her uncertainty about the future consequences of the crisis if it was already affecting her daughter’s right to learn in a safe school environment.
Even more disappointing for the students, James Madison High was forced to postpone its semi-formal Winter Wonderland Dance, scheduled for Wednesday night. The reasons for postponing the dance were unclear. A New York City school spokesman claimed that the dance was not canceled because of the migrants, saying the school was cleaned on Wednesday morning. But James Madison High told a different story, saying that its custodians were still working to clean up the gymnasium used to shelter the migrants.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams made an appearance at the school after the students were booted out, taking time to commend the city’s healthcare and emergency systems for their bang-up job of evacuating the immigrants and forcing school children to miss a day of learning.
The incident has prompted further criticism of Floyd Bennett Field’s viability as a tent shelter for illegal immigrants. Its location is far from essential services and schools and in a flood zone. To further complicate matters, it is a designated historical site, meaning the tents cannot be secured with ground stakes.
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander criticized the decision to house migrants at Floyd Bennett Field, stating that it underscores the mismanagement and waste of money all-too-present” in the city’s approach to shelter and services for illegal immigrants.
With harsh weather and dropping temperatures, it’s unclear what the next strategy will be. Williams is ready for a fight, saying, “The community is just outraged because here you have the migrants being placed over our own children and our community. What’s next?”
Williams is the latest Democratic voice to join the refrain, “Close the borders.” Sadly, it’s far too little. And It’s far too late.
