Workers at a Long Island City migrant center said they hope new curfews will help ease limit chaos at the nearly 1,000-bed facility – but neighbors have their doubts.
“It’ll make it a lot easier,” a security guard at the Austell Place shelter told The Post on Monday ahead of expanded curfews that will include the shelter and 19 others across Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
“It’s not just these guys hanging out,” he said, pointing to a group of migrants lounging in a nearby square. “At night they start partying and you know, getting intoxicated, getting into fights, damaging property.
“They damage businesses around here, we get complaints,” the guard added, claiming many migrants defy shelter rules and sneak e-bike batteries, hot plates, and kettles inside — banned because of their potential to start fires.
“There are about a thousand people here and we can’t stop all of them,” he added. “The battery will set on fire at night. That’s happened at three of the shelters I’ve worked at… It’s really dangerous. They’re not cool about it either, they’re very rebellious.”
Beginning Monday night, Austell Place and 20 other shelters across the city will require migrants to check in by 11 p.m. and remain inside until 6 a.m.,…
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