Exclusive: Video shows migrants' belongings getting tossed during sweep of BQE encampment

The group of migrants was camped out in tents under the BQE after being removed from a nearby shelter, city officials say.

News 12 Staff

Jul 21, 2023, 9:34 PM

Updated 414 days ago

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City officials on Friday swept through an encampment under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that was being used by migrants.
The group of migrants was camped out in tents under the BQE after being removed from a nearby shelter, city officials say.
Witnesses tell News 12 that the city's encampment task force swept the area.
News 12 obtained exclusive video that shows an official putting the migrants' belongings in garbage bags and disposing of them.
A witness, who wanted to remain anonymous, says they took tents, mattresses and clothes, and the food that people had brought them.
This comes days after the city announced a 60-day limit for single adult asylum seekers staying in shelters.
The city says the migrants at the encampment were thrown out of the shelter system because of a fight, not because of the new limits.
"I don't feel threatened by these people," says resident Gregg Levine. "I feel for these people, and I want them helped."
News 12 reached out to the mayor's office, and they say the city's main concern is to ensure a safe shelter for everyone.
The migrants involved in Friday's sweep have accepted new placements.