An NYPD officer was injured and 10 people were arrested Tuesday as protesters hurled objects and forced a bus with migrants to turn around outside a former senior living center in Staten Island that has been tapped to house asylum-seekers.
Dozens of demonstrators descended on the former Island Shores Senior Living Facility after news spread that the center would become a makeshift shelter to house migrants coming to the city, WABC-TV reports. Shortly after 8 p.m., protesters temporarily blocked a bus of about 20 migrants headed to the shelter.
As police tried to find another route to reach the shelter, the passengers changed their destination, and the bus returned to a Manhattan hotel being used as a migrant intake center. NYPD officers outside the former senior living center worked to control the crowd, which Mayor Eric Adams called "an ugly display" in interviews Wednesday.
"The police department handled those small number of people, and we are not going to allow ourselves to be bullied carrying out our responsibilities," Adams told NY1. "But I understand the frustration New Yorkers are going through and I understand the frustration that the asylum-seekers are experiencing as well."
Demonstrators pelted police with objects, and 10 protesters were arrested. Of those arrested, nine were given disorderly conduct summonses.
A 48-year-old man faces multiple charges—including assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and obstructing government administration after he allegedly fought with an officer during the protest. No details were given on what led up to the altercation or how it caused the officer to suffer a knee injury.
Since 2022, New York City officials have been struggling with an influx of migrants being bused to the city. The city has been the destination for over 110,000 migrants since spring of last year, and over 60,000 asylum-seekers remain in the city.
