‘American Nightmare’: The Hidden Hardship of the Unprepared Democratic Party’s Refugee Policy

Dec. 4 (local time), one evening in Manhattan, New York, it grew dark in an alley near Grand Central Terminal: In weather so cold you could see your breath, in between people moving hurriedly, three people were sitting on the ground, a woman and children wearing wool hats and coats. The adult woman is fiddling with her phone; next to her are an elementary-age girl and a child, no more than four or five years old, squabbling and playing. In front of them are two shoebox-shaped boxes filled to the brim with gum, chocolate bars and more. After approaching them, I asked, “How much?” and the woman held out five fingers as if to say, “Five dollars.”

These people are refugees. They crossed over the border from Central and South American countries, looking for freedom and hope. Many risked their lives crossing the Darien Gap, a jungle that stretches about 100 kilometers (62 miles) long between Panama and Colombia in Latin America. They rode a bus heading to New York City, the representative city of the United States, but when they got off the bus, they had no choice but to face reality. According to U.S. federal law, they would have to wait at least six months to find a job. Even after six months had passed, there’s no guarantee that they’d be able to earn money. In the city, the majority of refugees lack the skills needed to earn money and the experience speaking and reading English.

Last summer, all of Manhattan was full of refugees illegally putting up carts and selling products. When I went to Fifth Avenue, where the New York Public Library is located, there was a woman cutting fruit at a stall with densely packed cups of fruit. Next to the woman was a child holding and playing with a phone. There were similar stalls placed almost every 5 meters (16 feet) at Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge and at the roadside of other famous tourist attractions. They not only sold fruit cups, but also water, soft drinks, sugar-covered churros and much more. They even sell their goods in the passageways of subway stations. One citizen who has lived in New York for 15 years, said, “Originally on New York streets, hot dogs and pretzels were sold, but food like this didn’t exist.” He continued, “Since last year, it’s been appearing little by little, almost taking over the streets this year.”* There are many cases of immigrant parents sitting and doing business on the side of the road because they have no place to leave their children. In situations like this, gaining learning opportunities is hard for these children. Even if they get help from a refugee support group, go to a shelter and put the children in school, if the 60-day shelter residence period ends, then they must find a new home and end up having to move and change schools.

New York City’s licensed street vendors are frustrated with the refugees. Especially in New York, to sell hot dogs, kebabs, etc., they must pay a “street tax.” In the case of a hot-dog business, if they want to sell in popular places in New York, such as the Central Park Zoo, they might have to pay more than $150,000 in one year. Refugees don’t pay the street tax since their stalls are illegal. Because of this, disputes between permit holders and refugees are not unheard of when their business areas overlap. Dan Rossi, who sells hot dogs in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, complained to The New York Times, “They are breaking the law. The only reason I accept this is for the children. When you see the babies strapped to their backs, how can you not want to feed the babies?” War veterans who hold a license to sell goods at the Brooklyn Bridge recently told the media, “With the illegal business of [refugees], it’s all going to die.”* The city is beginning to sanction street vendors who are operating illegally at the Brooklyn Bridge and other locations.

Since last year, up to 150,000 immigrants have entered New York City. The problem is that New York, one of the most progressive cities in the United States, opened its doors without long-term or concrete measures, saying that “a refugee crisis is a human rights issue.”* In one case last summer, refugees could not enter the oversaturated shelters, so they tried to sleep in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Now in New York, more than 60,000 refugees remain in roughly 210 facilities. New York has spent almost $2 billion on refugees. Even so, it will become more serious if city officials cannot get the problem under control.

Still, as refugees are pushed out onto the streets and the problem grows out of control, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is now taking the initiative and redirecting the criticism, saying, “The migrant crisis in New York City is a national issue.” Refugees fear the coming of winter; many of them don’t even own a proper coat to face the fierce cold of the northeastern U.S. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency recently asked New York City about things such as their cold snap plans and their long-term track record regarding the rapid increase of refugees, but New York City has not delivered a pointed answer.

*Editor’s Note: These quotations, though accurately translated, could not be verified.