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December 22, 2023

Metro exclusive Trending Now

on NYPost.com

Migrants at NYC’s Floyd Bennett Field 74,846

are begging for money, food at furious

locals’ doorsteps: ‘Invasion’
By Georgett Roberts and Emily Crane
Published Dec. 22, 2023 Updated Dec. 22, 2023, 4:31 p.m. ET

Migrants at NYC's Floyd Bennett Field

Resident talks about migrants at NYC's Floyd Bennett Field going into are begging for money, food at furious
neighborhood locals' doorsteps: 'Invasion'

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Migrants staying at the Big Apple’s controversial tent

More On: shelter at Floyd Bennett Field have started going door to
migrants door in nearby neighborhoods begging residents for cash,
food and clothes, furious locals told The Post Friday.
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on US-Mexico border breaks
record — with nearly 250K trying David Fitzgerald, 62, said he has noticed an influx of asylum Nikki Haley quietly bought a $2.4M SC
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seeker families showing up on his doorstep in Brooklyn’s joining Boeing board
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Columnists
Colorado mountain town’s “There’s definitely an invasion of immigrants from Floyd
housing shortage Bennett Field in our neighborhood and I see them sitting Steve Cuozzo
outside stores … outside the mall and going around to all the
Reporter on live TV reveals houses in the neighborhood, knocking on the door looking for
shock at number of migrants at NYC scaffold war spills into concrete
border: ‘I’ve never seen this money,” the retiree said. jungle as rivals sue each other
number arriving’
certainly sympathize with their situation, but to have people
“I

knocking at your door looking for food that don’t speak Jennifer Gould
English, it’s annoying. I don’t like it. We have never had this before, ever,” he continued.
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Migrants staying at Floyd Bennett Field have started going door to door in nearby neighborhoods to beg for cash.
Paul Martinka

“There is definitely a lot of nervousness in the neighborhood, that is for sure.”

Ring camera footage from Fitzgerald’s home captured one of the migrant families, with their kids in tow,
recently knocking on his front door — some four miles from the city-run shelter site.

Paul Sanzone, who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years, said migrants now knock on his door on a
“regular basis.”
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Nearly 40% of Americans skip social
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reason

Migrants have frequently approached homeowners for money.

Paul Martinka

“Iam all for charity, 100%. I’ll give you the shirt off my back, the money in my pocket, but not this way. It

has got to stop,” Sanzone, 56, said.

He said he and his wife had been “on edge” ever since two people who recently came looking for food
and money were wearing what appeared to be ankle monitors.

“It’s alarming,” he said.

And another local, only identified as Bronislav, told The Post a migrant couple with two children had only
just knocked on his door in search of clothing earlier on Friday.

Locals said they’re “on edge” after two people looking for food were wearing ankle monitors.
Paul Martinka

“They asked for clothes. I said I didn’t have and that was the truth,” the 58-year-old city worker said,
adding that he realized immediately they had likely come from the nearby shelter.

Meanwhile, other residents have been taking to a Facebook group, titled “STOP FLOYD BENNETT
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS,” to air their fury over the panhandling migrants of late, The City reported .

Recent posts in the group called on locals to report the begging migrants to 311 and urged neighbors not
to “give in to the panhandlers.”

While Fitzgerald said he would normally have no hesitation calling the cops on a random trespasser, he
noted: “How do you call the police for someone knocking at your door for food? You can’t really.”

David Fitzgerald, 62, said his Ring camera captured a migrant family knocking on his Brooklyn door asking for money.

He suggested the migrants were resorting to begging because Mayor Eric Adams and the city weren’t
adequately caring for the roughly 1,700 asylum seekers being housed at the Floyd Bennett site. Migrants
are fed at shelters but have reported that often the food is poorly made an unpalatable .

“These people are coming to residents of this neighborhood looking for the assistance that they are not
getting,” said Fitzgerald, who is an immigrant from Ireland himself.

“Personally, I don’t think they should be at Floyd Bennett Field anyway. It’s not a good living environment
for people, certainly for families. It’s just not good enough and if there is no room for them to be here, then
they should not be here.

David Fitzgerald, 62, said he has noticed an influx of asylum seeker families showing up on his doorstep in Brooklyn’s
Marine Park neighborhood in recent weeks asking for spare change.
Paul Martinka

“They’re gonna end up in the streets, that’s what’s gonna happen, and these are families.”

City Hall didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The Floyd Bennett Field site, which is made up of four congregate sleeping dorms , has been marred by
controversy since it started housing migrants last month.

The Floyd Bennett Field site is housing roughly 1,700 asylum seekers.
Paul Martinka

The Floyd Bennett Field site is made up of four congregate sleeping dorms.
Paul Martinka

Dozens of migrants refused to stay there after they were bused there by the city — with some arguing the
isolated site was too far from their jobs and schools.

438 What do you think? Post a comment.

Earlier this week, several asylum seekers said they spent a sleepless night at the site after a monster
storm struck and caused metal bolts and hinges to drop from the ceiling.

“Pieces were falling from the roof,” Leugim del Carmen Martinez Ordaz, of Peru, told The Post at the time.

“The wind was so strong, it looked like the tents were going to give way and be blown apart,” Venezuelan
migrant Reibi Rodriguez added.

Filed under brooklyn migrants panhandling 12/22/23

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Conversation 438 Comments 1.8K Viewing

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4 People typing

Cats01
3 hours ago
Simple. I have no sympathy for ANY NYC resident who voted for Eric Adams and/or Kathy
ochul. Voters had another choice for each office with a strong, aggressive candidate. Instead,
went with candidates who offered nothing better than the previous Administrations.
Reply 633 Share

1 replying

Lik Rah
2 hours ago
How did you get past this draconian policy and post this?
Reply 57 Share
2 replies

ItsallaDistraction
5 hours ago
Don't give them a thing. It like any other living thing, if you feed them once, they will keep
back expecting more and more.
If you want to provide charity, do it through some other organization. Donate food, clothes and
but don't do it from the front door of your house. You may as ...
See more
Reply 525 Share
1 reply

Brian Griffin
4 hours ago
This is entirely predictable. The jobs don't exist for them, the housing doesn't exist. The
merica of 100 years ago with plentiful jobs is gone. A million manufacturing jobs went
but they keep coming.
Reply 404 Share

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