Kent, speaking to WNYW, claimed that the treatment he and other migrants were receiving at the shelter was “a violation of his rights.” The station translated Kent’s remarks to mean: “They abuse us; they invade our privacy, and they take our money, our belongings without our permission.” Other migrants at the shelter also expressed concerns about their safety and living conditions, with one Venezuelan migrant stating, “We escaped our countries because we weren’t safe, now we’re not safe here.”
The Ramada Inn has been housing approximately 250 illegal immigrants since May 2023. In the past year, police have been called to the site more than 130 times, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the motel and the surrounding community.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano addressed the incident, stating that some illegal immigrants refuse to obey the rules. “The individuals that we’re talking about and what’s happening at the Ramada Inn appears to be limited to a few people who just frankly aren’t happy with some of the rules,” he said, according to CBS.
Detective Sergeant Frank DiDomizio of the Yonkers Police Department echoed the mayor’s sentiments, saying, “We’re not dealing with crime, we’re dealing with disputes. We’re trying to obviously diffuse disputes. There’s a couple people that aren’t happy with certain situations, certain rules.” These rules include a ban on certain appliances, such as hot posts, in the motel rooms.
The incident at the Ramada Inn serves as a microcosm of the larger issues surrounding the illegal immigrant crisis in the United States. Cities and communities across the country are grappling with the challenges of providing shelter and resources to a growing number of undocumented individuals while also maintaining public safety and order.
