Brooklyn students are being forced to learn remotely at home while nearly 2,000 immigrants were housed at the local high school on Tuesday.
According to a Jan. 9 memo sent to the parents of students attending James Madison High School in New York City, the move was issued in response to inclement weather to provide shelter for thousands of immigrants.
The memo stated the school was “being activated as a temporary overnight respite shelter due to dangerous wind conditions at Floyd Bennett Field. Our school is ready with cots and supplies available to provide emergency short-term respite.”
The New York Post reported Floyd Bennet Field has been turned into a tent city as immigrants continue to enter the city amid the border crisis.
Local residents, students, and parents expressed outrage that their tax-payer-funded school should be used to give immigrants free housing.
One resident named Rob accused the city of using the situation to experiment with long-term plans. He said, “It’s a litmus test. They are using a storm, a legitimate situation, where they are testing this out. I guarantee you they’ll be here for the entire summer.”
“There’s 1,900 people getting thrown into my neighborhood, half a block from where I live and we don’t know who they are,” he added.
An angry mother named Michelle stood before buses of migrants and shouted at them as they entered the school.
“How does it feel that you kicked all the kids out of school tomorrow? Does it feel good? I hope you feel good. I hope you will sleep very well tonight!” she exclaimed.
Another local asked, “How do you feel stealing American tax money?”
City Hall spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak stated, “The families are already in the process of being temporarily relocated and will continue to be provided with essential services and support.”
Just where the funding for that support is coming from and how long immigrants will be allowed free services is unsure.
Physical education teacher Robin Levy stated, “They sent us the email at 6 in the morning. I don’t know when we’ll be able to go back.”
She also questioned why the city decided to kick students out of their own school for this purpose.
“Why not send them somewhere where students wouldn’t be disrupted, where students learning wouldn’t be disrupted?” she asked.