Mobs of rowdy migrants were involved in a violent brawl outside a Midtown hotel, with video footage depicting individuals swinging sticks, belts, and traffic cones at each other. The incident, which occurred on Eighth Avenue, involved at least a dozen asylum seekers engaging in physical altercations. One individual was seen menacingly swinging a bat at the crowd, leading to others joining in on the violence, resulting in a person being pinned to the ground and attacked by four others.
Amidst the chaos, some individuals were spotted wearing bicycle helmets as they clashed in the middle of the street while traffic continued to pass by. One migrant was captured on video smacking another individual in the head, causing their helmet to fall off before retreating to the opposite side of the street. The exact cause of the brawl remains unclear, and the NYPD has yet to provide a comment on the incident. The Row hotel, where the altercation took place, is just one of many locations in New York City that have been converted to house asylum seekers amidst a surge in immigration from the US-Mexico border.
The influx of asylum seekers into the city has totaled over 190,000 individuals since the spring of 2022, with approximately 64,000 currently residing in shelters across New York. Unfortunately, some migrant hotspots have experienced violent outbursts in recent months, such as a confrontation between illegal vendors and law enforcement in Jackson Heights. Furthermore, a migrant was fatally stabbed in an attack at a tent city on Randall’s Island set up to accommodate the increasing number of asylum seekers. Mayor Eric Adams has responded to these incidents by imposing curfews at several large migrant housing sites in an effort to maintain safety and security within the city.
