Critics of migrant housing plan at Floyd Bennett Field point to flooding as dealbreaker
Assembly Member Jaime Williams and City Council Member Joann Ariola have been vocal against using the field due to the threat of flooding.
Heavy rains brought on by Ophelia flooded Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where roughly 2,500 asylum seekers will soon be housed.
New York State Assemblymember Jaime Williams shared video with News 12, showing five inches of rainwater on the field.
New York City and the federal government signed an agreement on Sept. 15, though no plan has been made regarding housing and services for the migrants.
Williams, along with City Council Member Joann Ariola and other public advocates, have been vocal against using the field, which is federal land, to house newly arrived migrants due to the threat of flooding.
"I challenge the mayor, the Biden administration or the governor to Floyd Bennett field when it's raining, to see if they would want to be living here on our runways when it's raining,” says Williams.
“It's illegal to have any type of residential housing, whether temporary or permanent, here on Floyd Bennett field. It's dangerous," said Ariola.
The two elected officials, as well as another state assemblymember, filed a lawsuit together against the city over using the land. They are set to have a court hearing on Oct. 3 and will testify in front of Congress on Wednesday.
