Dozens of homeless veterans have been kicked out of their upstate New York hotels to make room for an influx of migrants fueled by the expiration of immigration restriction order Title 42.
The struggling veterans were only informed at the start of the week that they would be making way for the migrants, a nonprofit veterans organization told The New York Post.
Sharon Toney-Finch, who runs the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation helping the homeless individuals, said the hotels callously decided to kick out the vets ‘due to what’s going on with the immigrants.’
The migrants were bussed north by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to alleviate the pressure on the Big Apple as more than 10,000 people a day across the southern border in record numbers.
But the move came at a cost for the homeless veterans living in hotels intended for the migrants, leading Toney-Finch, a disabled military veteran, to voice her anguish at seeing the situation unfold.
‘One of the vets called me on Sunday,’ she said. ‘He told me he had to leave because the hotel said the extended stay is not available… Then I got another call.’
Toney-Finch said she was left in tears after seeing the veterans swiftly kicked out of the hotels, despite being promised temporary housing for a month.
‘We didn’t waste any time,’ she said of her efforts, revealing the vets still had two weeks left of their stay before they were callously ejected.
Of the 20 veterans being kicked from the hotels, she claimed 15 had been booted from the Crossroads Hotel in Newburgh, Orange County.
The five others were removed from the Super 8 and Hampton Inn & Suites in Middletown, roughly 70 miles north of Manhattan.
All 20 of the displaced ex-military members have been moved to a separate hotel in Hudson Valley, but Toney-Finch said the ordeal has been heartbreaking for the struggling veterans.
‘Now we have to work from ground zero,’ she added. ‘We just lost that trust.’
Mayor Adams’ office did not immediately respond when contacted for comment.