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Google Maps is now showing a cheeky label for the location where New York City Mayor Eric Adams has decided to house asylum seekers in the city.
Rather than read “Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center” — as Adams called the soon-to-open center on Randalls Island — the website has tagged the facility as “Adams Tent City.”
The tag appears when navigating the northwest coast of the remote island between Manhattan and Queens, but is only visible when zoomed in to about 100 feet above ground level.
The label is even automatically populated with an address in the search bar, taking viewers directly to the location.
It’s unclear whether the tag was added by Google itself or by a user who enjoys location features that allow business owners to identify their storefront.
On the ground and in person, the label is not far off the mark. Adams has set up some huge tents on the island, each filled with hundreds of cots, couches and rows of folding tables and chairs, and even fully equipped industrial kitchens.
Rather than read Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center — as Adams called the soon-to-open center on Randalls Island — on Google Maps, the facility is tagged as ‘Adams Tent City’
On the ground and in person, the label is not far off the mark. Adams has set up some huge tents on the island, each filled with hundreds of cots, couches and rows of folding tables and chairs, and even fully equipped industrial kitchens.
On Tuesday, Mayor Adams tweeted a photo from inside the facility and a video of him touring the inside of the tents.
“Spent last night on Randall’s Island inspecting our asylum seekers reception facility,” he wrote. “Care is the key.”
“We provide medical care, sleeping accommodations, connection to legal services, laundry services and more,” he said. “We did not ask for this crisis, but we are meeting the moment.”
Adams announced plans to open the center just a month ago, characterizing it as a modern Ellis Island.
“More than 100 years ago, Ellis Island opened its doors to welcome those who ‘crave to breathe freely,'” he said.
“Now more than ever, it is clear that we are dealing with a human-made humanitarian crisis.
“While other leaders have abdicated their moral duty to support prospective asylum seekers, New York City refuses to do so.”
The facility can accommodate up to 500 migrants at a time. It remains unclear when the facility will open, with the city only saying it will be “soon” from Oct. 12.
Row upon row of cots set up at the facility on Randalls Island. The center can accommodate 500 people
Rows of tables and chairs in the cafeteria of the Asylum Seekers Center on Randalls Island in New York City
The project has been embroiled in controversy since its announcement, with critics decrying it as a waste of taxpayer money that New Yorkers desperately need.
Construction on the project originally began at a Bronx site, but that work was scrapped after ten days due to drainage issues and the facility was moved to Randalls Island.
Adams has declined to comment on how much money that location change cost the city.
“Once we have the exact cost, we’ll give it to you. We’re not doing anything prematurely so you can say, “Eric lied about the charges,” he said in a defensive press conference earlier this month. “So we’re going to give it as soon as we get it.”
Regardless of the excuses, many said the project was unnecessarily wasteful.
“It’s sickening to see the city and federal government wasting taxpayers’ money to address the problems they’ve created that are totally avoidable,” said U.S. Representative Nicole. Malliotakis, according to the New York Post.
“It’s frustrating to see money being thrown away by city, state and federal governments at a time when we’re dealing with budget problems, $31 trillion in debt and an economy where New Yorkers and Americans are struggling to get around.” to come,” she says. said.
Adams said he is considering renting out hotel rooms across the city to accommodate some of the migrants arriving in New York from border regions.
Controversy around the migrant center is emerging as thousands of asylum seekers have arrived in New York City, prompting Mayor Adams to declare a state of emergency and request billions of dollars in federal aid.
About 1,800 asylum seekers from Latin America arrived in New York in just one weekend in early October, just as Adams asked for $1 billion in federal funding to help cope with the crisis.
“Those numbers are incredible — 1800,” Adams said on Columbus Day. “We need every level of government to cooperate in dealing with this crisis that we are facing.”
“You know, the last few days to receive those large numbers is a strain on our system and we need to make sure we get the support we need.”
Nearly 20,000 migrants had traveled to the Big Apple from border states on Columbus Day, according to NY Daily News.
The registered number stands at 19,200, according to Adams officials, but it is likely to be even more than that, as this is just the number of migrants who have passed through the reception system in the five boroughs.
Pictured: A bus carrying migrants arrived in New York City on Sunday, September 4.
Warning that the Randalls Island facility is likely to be the first of its kind to come to the city, Adams predicted that emergency shelters would soon be in place in “every community” in the city, and they would expect to see them “without warning.” ‘
Adams noted that every borough would be “affected” by the crisis during an Oct. 12 press conference at Yankees Stadium in the Bronx.
“Every community will see asylum seekers,” Adams said.
“This is a citywide crisis and we will all be affected and Staten Island will be affected like the other four boroughs,” he added.
The mayor has noted that the city’s shelters are already close to 100 percent capacity, with about 61,000 people in the system, 20,000 of which are children.