Camp City: Asylum Seekers and the Homelessness Crisis on NY Randall’s Island

by Contributing Author

by Johanna Elattar

The Randall’s Island “Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center” opened on October 19, 2022, to house asylum seekers arriving in New York City. The New York Immigration Coalition quickly denounced poor conditions at the tent encampments on Randall’s Island, and the decision to house asylum seekers in them. Now, Mayor Eric Adams is facing demands to find alternative housing options to protect the new arrivals.  

The facility at Randall’s Island is approximately 84,400 square feet,

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Undocumented, Homeless and Stranded in San Francisco

by Kiara Gabriel

Young, energetic, and full of life, I only wanted what was best for my family and me. After completing high school back in my country of birth, I wanted to study abroad. I always dreamt of the U.S. In 2016, I started filling out my applications, and I was determined to achieve my dream. Luckily, I had all the support I needed, and after so many applications finally I got a response for a U.S.

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The Pain of Immigration and Homelessness in San Francisco

by Martin Kelly

The thought of it all was so amazing that it sent chills down my spine. America: land of plenty, a second chance, heaven on Earth. A place only seen on TV. Just the thought of visiting makes one do the unbelievable just to get there. Some use marvelous pictures of America as screensavers on their phones, and laptops, and as wallpaper and art  to decorate their homes. This makes most want to live in a fast-lane-life and fantasy world and try to do anything to get to America.

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Seeking Greener Pastures, Only to Find Homelessness in the Bay Area

by Samel Leparan Ntiwuas

My name is Samel Leparan Ntiwuas. I live just down the street from the house where I grew up.

I grew up in Oakland and San Francisco. My folks succeeded in their own ways, at one point owning a home, which was once considered the very foundation of financial stability. Then, when life chose to give me a bitter test, I joined the surging number of unsheltered immigrant people who spill out around freeways,

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Made Homeless by COVID-19

by Max Milian

When the first case of COVID-19 was reported, no one knew how far it would spread or how dramatically it would impact our lives. No one knew the damage it would do to our health, our finances, our mental wellbeing. As I write this the impact of this pandemic has been felt across borders, affecting everyone regardless of age, sex, religion or even social status. What we used to see as a normal routine became a luxury as our movement was restricted by lockdowns and self-isolations.

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Immigration and Homelessness

by Anonymous

Only those affected by immigration and homelessness can understand what it is like. Seeking greener pastures in an attempt to survive has led to both positive and negative outcomes. Difficulties in life have led low-income African families to take more risks and seek greener pastures in an attempt to survive. My case was no different—times were too difficult to bear. I tried so many other things to make a living and support my mother, but economic challenges and high taxation rates made it impossible for me.

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Testimonio del Señor LINARES LUIS

by Quiver Watts
A rooster stands atop a skull wearing a hat that reads "ICE", with handcuffs lying beside it. The image is framed by cacti and a scorpion.

This article has been translated into English HERE.

Vine a este país huyendo del terrorismo y también para poder ayudar a mi familia que quedo en mi país  . Después , llegó el feliz momento de salir de la  calle y rentar un sofá por 400 dólares al mes , en un apartamento de la calle 20 Th St y la Bryant . Esperando la media noche para conciliar el sueño ya que en lugar que rente vivíamos 10 personas y todas trabajan hasta tarde de la noche  y otros salían muy temprano y el sofá están en el lugar donde todos preparaban sus alimentos y además era la puerta  principal del lugar y pues no dormía apropiadamente ,

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Testimony of Mr. Linares Luis

by Linares Luis
A rooster stands atop a skull wearing a hat that reads "ICE", with handcuffs lying beside it. The image is framed by cacti and a scorpion.

This article has been translated from Spanish. Read the original HERE!

I came to this country fleeing from terrorism and also so that I could help my family back home. I lived on the street until the happy moment when I was able to rent a couch for $400 a month in an apartment on 20th and Bryant. There I couldn’t sleep until midnight because there were ten people living there.

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Undocumented in San Francisco: My Story

by Quiver Watts
A rooster stands atop a skull wearing a hat that reads "ICE", with handcuffs lying beside it. The image is framed by cacti and a scorpion.

Content warning: The stories throughout this issue may be especially activating for some readers. Many of these pieces involve descriptions of traumatic experiences including sexual violence, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, queer/transphobic violence, in addition to the violence of states and false borders.

I am undocumented, and so is my son. We are ‘illegal’ because our coordinates don’t match our birthplaces, because my legal dual American citizen husband beat me mercilessly for years and I had to run to try and save the two of us.

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SOMBRAS DE LA CIUDAD

by Galijo

San Francisco las personas desamparadas aún tienen fe y esperanza en la organizaciones que le hagan  brillar sus vidas de nuevo

El reto del como y cuando,
sigue siendo
el dilema
de una sociedad
que se insensibiliza,
frente a la crisis de las personas desamparadas

This article has been translated from Spanish to English. Read the translation HERE!

Las personas en crisis de desamparo, tienen una gran tensión física, sicológica,

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