Officials in New York City cleared out a storefront in the Bronx that was illegally housing dozens of immigrants, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
New York City’s Department of Buildings inspectors found 45 beds on the first floor and basement of the building alongside extension cords, e-bikes, space heaters and other fire hazards in the living area, according to the AP. The storefront was run by Ebou Sarr, who also operated a Queens furniture store hosting nearly 70 immigrants that was shut down Tuesday. (RELATED: Biden Admin Could Greenlight Usage Of Medicaid Funds To House Migrants In One Blue State)
New York City officials ordered the building be vacated due to “hazardous, life-threatening conditions” and a lack of light and ventilation, according to the AP. Sarr was issued two violations for use of the building contrary to city records and for failure to upkeep the property.
Migrants who arrived a few days ago from Eagle Pass, Texas, walk to the shelters at Floyd Bennett Field in the Brooklyn borough of New York on February 3, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
City officials ordered Sarr’s Wholesale Furniture in the Bronx vacated Tuesday after finding space on the first floor and cellar converted into sleeping quarterx with 27 beds between the two. Sarr told reporters he was housing migrant men from his home nation of Senegal and charging them $300 a month because they could not afford a place to live after not finding a place in the city’s emergency shelter system.
New York City is currently experiencing a migrant and homelessness crisis as over 150,000 illegal immigrants have flooded the streets since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. The city has spent over $2 billion on various costs to assist the immigrants living in emergency shelters.
Illegal immigration has jumped under the Biden administration, with millions of migrants entering the southern border since Biden’s inauguration.
Border Patrol encountered nearly 1.6 million immigrants at the southern border in fiscal year 2021, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data. There were over 2 million immigrant encounters in fiscal year 2023.
CBP has encountered over 750,000 illegal immigrants at the southern border since the beginning of fiscal year 2024, according to federal data.
Biden and former President Donald Trump are headed to the southern border Thursday to address the immigration crisis. Trump is going to Eagle Pass, Texas, and Biden is headed to Brownsville, Texas.
New York City’s Department of Buildings did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comments.
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