Frank Tammaro, a 95-year-old Korean War veteran, was evicted from his Staten Island assisted living facility in New York City to make way for illegal immigrants, with a mere two-month notice. This came amidst the US/Mexico border crisis, with approximately 10,000 illegal immigrants entering the US daily. Tammaro expressed frustration at the abrupt eviction from the Island Shores facility, stating decisions were made “behind closed doors” leaving residents little recourse.
Tammaro spoke at a press conference with Staten Island Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY):
“One day there was a notice on the board. I think that gave us a month and a half to find out where we were going to go. I thought my suitcases were going to be on the curb because I’m not that fast.”
“If it wasn’t for my daughter, they would’ve been on the curb. That was it. I said, ‘No, no, no, no, you’re not moving me,’ and they said, ‘Yes, yes, yes we are.’ Everything was done behind closed doors – we didn’t have a chance to actually make any attempt to stop them because there wasn’t enough time.”
At the press conference, Congresswoman Malliotakis revealed that Mayor Adams’ administration had collaborated with Homes for the Homeless to repurpose the assisted living facility into a migrant shelter. Mayor Adams, who declared a state of emergency due to the escalating crisis, previously warned at a Town Hall meeting about the potential devastation the situation might bring to New York City. He even suggested retracting the city’s “sanctuary” status.
“My blood pressure went through the roof when I found out Homes for the Homeless cut a deal with the City of New York to turn Island Shores into a migrant shelter,” said the congresswoman.
Current data indicates that about 60,000 illegal immigrants reside in New York City. Only 800 adult illegal immigrants have taken steps to obtain work visas, a prerequisite for legally earning wages in the city.
