A shelter will open in New Windsor to provide services for unaccompanied children who have recently arrived in the United States amid the growing border crisis, The Newburgh News has confirmed.
The announcement originally came by outgoing New York State Assemblyman Colin Schmitt this afternoon. He stated the St. Christopher’s New Windsor Campus has been designated by the federal government to set up “the first known federal migrant camp in Orange County.”
The Newburgh News reached out to a spokesman for St. Christopher’s, Inc., who confirmed the designation.
“As Town of New Windsor officials are aware, St. Christopher’s has been designated by the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) as a care provider of services and shelter to unaccompanied children,” said Dennis da Costa of St. Christopher’s Public Relations Office.
“We anticipate that within the first half of 2023, our New Windsor Campus will serve as a residential shelter for 36 unaccompanied children, ages 12-17,” da Costa stated. “We will provide them with such services as classroom education, healthcare, socialization/recreation, vocational training, mental health services, and case management—while external, partner agencies will coordinate placement of these youth with vetted sponsors.”
St. Christopher’s is located on Blooming Grove Turnpike in Vail’s Gate at the site of the former McQuade’s Foundation. Their mission is to empower children and youth with special needs by providing them social and emotional coping skills, health care, mental health services, and social support services. St. Christopher’s does this with the intentions to allow children “to enter adulthood confident and equipped to meet life’s challenges and opportunities, and live happy, healthy and meaningful lives.”
Schmitt opposes the idea and fired off a letter to the New Windsor Town Board urging them to exercise “home rule authority” to prevent the housing of migrants “within town borders, and, specifically, at this location.”
Taylor Weyeneth, a spokesman for Schmitt, stated, “With the growing and remaining concerns in the community regarding secret migrant flights flown into Orange County Airport, Hudson Valley residents deserve transparency from all levels of government. While The Town of New Windsor has been allegedly notified that St. Christopher’s New Windsor will become the holding location for up to 36 migrants from the Southern Border at one time, the public has received no such notification. The Town has an obligation to residents to ensure their safety and security and shut this plan down at once.”
Schmitt wrote to the New Windsor Town Board, “This plan is unacceptable and must be stopped. St. Christopher’s in written communication states they ‘will keep in close contact with Town of New Windsor officials regarding timing’ of this migrant relocation occurring. Given the purported level of communication between the town and St. Christopher’s, efforts should be made to immediately end this plan.”
Schmitt’s letter drew mixed reviews from his constituents on his social media pages.
One resident noted that many citizens are homeless and should be helped first. Another explained that it is a “great gesture” which would be “much more meaningful if the immigrants were legal.”
Another resident suggested that instead of complaining about the shelter, people may consider donating to help the children. Donations can be made to St. Christopher’s at https://mystchristophers.org/donate/give-hope.html.
