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‘Exploded’ Plumbing Issue Temporarily Closes Harlem Migrant Shelter, Forcing Relocation

This is not a photo of the migrant shelter from the story. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Brent Foster Contributor
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A plumbing issue forced the temporary closure of a Manhattan correctional facility turned migrant shelter, the New York Post reported Saturday.

Located in Harlem, the former Lincoln Correctional Facility stands eight floors high and has the capacity to house around 500 individuals, according to the New York Post.

The facility opened Thursday for migrants, specifically those who are single adult males, the outlet reported.

A plumbing issue two days later, however, forced migrants to temporarily evacuate the facility. Migrants were then moved around the city and state, with some being taken by bus to Albany, according to the New York Post.

“This building is sh-t. The plumbing, the pipes exploded,” Hussain Uzun, a migrant from Turkey, told the New York Post. (RELATED: Eric Adams Moves To Fill New York City Jobs With Illegal Immigrants)

Later that day, a city spokesperson said “the issue has been resolved and all asylum seekers still on site are able to return inside,” the outlet reported.

The spokesperson continued, saying the site remained “accessible and while we worked to get it fully back online we offered all asylum seekers staying at this facility a place to wait or an alternate location to move for tonight.”

New York City is dealing with a huge surge in migrants, with Mayor Eric Adams saying the city alone is caring for over 45,000 migrants, according to WABC.