Migrant evacuation to Brooklyn high school sparks backlash

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- The mass evacuation of migrants to a Brooklyn high school Tuesday has prompted concern from local parents that the migrant crisis is interfering with their children's education.

Due to high winds, hundreds of men, women and children were crammed into James Madison High School. The school had to quickly cancel afternoon activities Tuesday and went all remote Wednesday.

"This is not acceptable on so many levels," said James Madison parent Tatyana Learner. "We are worried about the health of the children, education of our kids. This is the future of our country."

Learner helped lead a group of parents and politicians protesting outside the empty school Wednesday.

Children were forced to go to remote learning after the school was used overnight to evacuate migrants due to high winds at the Floyd Bennett Field tent encampment.

"If it's one time, it's bad enough, but will this be happening in the future?" Learner asked.

Assemblywoman Jaime Williams has been raising the alarm about the Floyd Bennett Field location from the beginning and said now her daughter, a James Madison senior, is sitting at home, not learning a thing.

At one point, tensions boiled over during the protest press conference when Desiree Joy Frias, a Bronx activist and lawyer, accused the gathered group of xenophobia.

There was a bomb threat at the school overnight, and many hate-filled calls to school officials, City Hall officials said.

"I just want to tell New Yorkers, do not let the fringe groups hijack our city," Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday. "This is a compassionate city."

Adams defended the evacuation, saying schools are always where people go in times of crisis, such as after big fires.

Adams' team said Floyd Bennett Field is not ideal, but it's necessary as the city struggles to handle thousands of migrants still arriving each week. The New York City Emergency Management commissioner once again reiterated the familiar claim that the federal government has abdicated its responsibility for the migrant crisis.

Migrants were out of the school by 4:30 a.m., and remote schooling was done out of an abundance of caution. However, City Hall officials said it is unlikely the school will be used for an evacuation again.

Nevertheless, the mayor said he has every right to do so in an emergency.

"I hope people are not saying we can't use a school building for migrants," said Adams. "Because what I saw yesterday at James Madison was I saw children."