Outside Gracie Mansion on Sunday, a protest against New York City's handling of the migrant crisis escalated into a violent clash between opposing factions.
During the tumultuous event, Trump supporters and pro-immigrant demonstrators clashed, resulting in strikes and arrests, as per Fox News.
Violent Clash Erupts at Gracie Mansion
Former New York City mayoral candidate and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa was a prominent figure at the protest, but he was also among those arrested as tensions escalated.
The gathering attracted approximately 100 people, divided between those demanding an end to shelters and the deportation of migrants and those condemning the "white supremacist" NYPD.
Sliwa's vehement stance was directed at his former mayoral opponent, Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who has established over 200 shelters in the five boroughs to accommodate the influx of approximately 100,000 migrants crossing the southern frontier.
Sliwa voiced his concerns, alleging that migrants were obtaining preferential treatment over American-born homeless individuals and veterans experiencing hardship, according to the Daily Mail.
Curtis Sliwa's Advocacy: Leading Protests and Confronting Immigration Issues in NYC
In recent weeks, Sliwa, a well-known New York media and political figure, has been detained multiple times for leading protests against shelters in various locations, including Staten Island and a closed Queens psychiatric hospital.
He attributed the violence at the Gracie Mansion protest to the inability of both Antifa and the NYPD to maintain order. Sliwa alleged that two elderly individuals aged 81 were arrested alongside him as tensions escalated.
He noted they were fingerprinted and photographed for a desk appearance citation, just like prominent figures such as former President Donald Trump and Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Sliwa criticized Mayor Adams, accusing him of inviting the immigration problem and lacking a comprehensive strategy to resolve it.
He proposed an alternative solution involving Riker's Island, which included a six-month transitional period for migrants before they were required to find their way. Officials in New York City have been confronted with increasing difficulties due to the continuous influx of migrants, with shelters nearing capacity and limited resources.
A court-ordered obligation to provide emergency sanctuary to anyone in need has exacerbated the situation. Although the influx of asylum-seeking migrants has strained the city's help, the flow shows no evidence of abating, with thousands more migrants arriving each week.
Adams took the unprecedented step of sending emissaries to the border to notify migrants that shelter space in the city could no longer be guaranteed and to encourage them to consider other US cities. Despite obstacles and public sentiment, municipal officials maintain that the available shelters are the only viable options to address the ongoing crisis.
As the debate surrounding immigration policy and resource allocation intensifies, New York City faces a challenging situation. The passionate confrontations witnessed at the Gracie Mansion protest illuminate the city's response to the ongoing migrant crisis, which deep-seated divisions and uncertainty shape, New York Times reported.
