Author: m.garzon

Several hours after a regular school day, P.S. 019 reopened its doors to residents in Corona, Queens for an informational forum. Many attendees, consisting of parents, walked in with children in hand while others brought their younger ones in strollers. As they sat in the auditorium’s old wooden chairs, some were reading the numerous pamphlets they were given at the entrance while others were chatting with other parents about the occasion. As the adults interacted, children ran around and laughed seemingly easing an otherwise tense evening.

Officials finally took their seats on stage introducing the panel, which consisted of various representatives from numerous city agencies. They had arrived to provide information and answer questions focused on the topic of the night: immigration under President Trump.

Although residents had been asked to hold their questions until the end of the panel, one woman stood up from the middle of the audience and asked, “We were told idNYC would be safe for us, but I heard the incoming government can use the information we submitted to find and deport us. Is that true?”

Her question was one of many concerns the audience now felt in every aspect of their lives ever since Donald Trump, who vowed to increase deportations, was elected president.

“It’s a difficult situation. Many people are suffering over thoughts of what will happen such as deportation, having to leave their families, or leaving their children. It’s sad,” said Martha Gualotuna, a resident who was worried about her future as well as those in her community.

Amid increasing worries and fear, officials and community groups have begun responding throughout the city by pledging to protect and defend immigrants.

In Corona, this has shaped into an effort to actively inform immigrants about their rights and provide them with supportive resources, especially as immigrants have increasingly sought immigration counsel after Election Day.

In the cold early morning of Dec. 1, officials from the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and local groups stood throughout Corona Plaza handing out handbooks and fliers to residents. Underneath the roar of the 7 train, the material was distributed to residents as they strolled past the plaza on their way to join the morning rush.  

The handbook was created by the DCA to provide consumer tips for immigrants about tax preparation, finances, employment agencies and immigration services. In particular, the material was a response to fraudulent immigration services in the area that had provided unreliable legal advice. The problem was alarming not only because many were taken advantage of financially but also because the false advice had jeopardized the cases of some immigrants and resulted in deportation.

“It’s good that people know about this information because honestly there is a lot of fraud, many public notaries and lawyers don’t do the right thing,” said Gualotuna.  

Gualotuna herself had been a fraud victim in 2001 when she had filed her immigration case with a lawyer who failed to resolve her status. She was among numerous people who were defrauded and eventually reimbursed damages after lawsuits were filed against the lawyer.  

“In these times of fear and worry, there are unscrupulous people who are offering to solve the problems of immigrants but the reality is they are completely unqualified,” said Vicente Mayorga, Civil Rights and Immigration Organizer of Make the Road New York, who was among those distributing material.

“Some people received us well, others are afraid,” said Mayorga. “They believe we are offering something illegal.”

Local elected officials also assisted the distribution and announced their support to the immigrant community in front of numerous news outlets including NY1 News, Univision, and Telemundo.

“The reality is after Election Day there was total fear in our city and why we are here is to let people know that New York will always stand by them,” said District Councilwoman Julissa-Ferraras Copeland.

As part of their efforts in Corona, officials followed the handbook with a forum at P.S. 019 on Dec. 5 for immigrants to learn about their rights under Trump’s presidency. In attendance were representatives from the DCA, Department of Education, NYC Commission of Human Rights, idNYC, New York Police Department, and immigration attorneys, indicating the vast influence Trump could have in terms of immigration.

Throughout the night, officials informed residents about taking necessary precautions such as carrying a valid id and obtaining immigration services from sponsored city groups. In addition, they explained the possible expectations such as the revocation of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Although residents welcomed the information, it was apparent they still felt uneasy. At the conclusion of the night, many stayed afterwards forming long lines to talk to officials about their own situation until security had to close the school.

“As a mother, I’m worried the most about being taken away from my children. They need me to take care of them and I can’t imagine being separated from them,” said Maria, who was given a pseudonym to protect her identity.

Many parents at the forum like Maria feared providing any personal information more than ever out of fear of putting themselves at risk. The forum was even aware of the issue and allowed questions to be submitted anonymously on paper to make them feel comfortable.

In addition to these city efforts, community groups have also noticed the community’s concerns and stepped up efforts to aid immigrants in Corona.

“We’re doing as much as we can,” said Anthony Posada, a staff attorney from the Legal Aid Society, who was present at the panel to provide legal information.

Posada explained that although he understood immigrants were afraid during this time, the organization had built trust with the Corona community through its collaborations with other groups and presence in other neighborhoods. In addition, he stated their efforts in removing ICE from Rikers Island and denouncing immigrant lawyers that defrauded immigrants were significant in maintaining their reliability.

“Those kinds of actions let the immigrant undocumented community know that we have their back and are in in the fight with them,” said Posada. “That helps us overcome a lot of the bad stereotypes that are sometimes attached to free legal aid services.”

Local community organization, Make the Road New York, has also taken a prominent position in Corona voicing its support of immigrants in the community and preparing them for January.

“Our immediate response was to go out on the streets and inform everyone that those threats to immigrants won’t be allowed to happen,” said Mayorga.

According to Mayorga, the organization has already participated in numerous demonstrations and has several planned in the next few weeks including two trips to Washington D.C. on Dec. 14 as well as Jan. 20, when President-elect Trump will be inaugurated. The movement has also established a presence in the neighborhood, where a demonstration was recently held on Roosevelt Avenue to declare Jackson Heights a hate free zone for all, he said.   

“The most important thing right now is that our community needs to come together, organize itself, stay informed, and participate because that’s the best way to be ready,” said Mayorga.

In addition, the organization has used its open weekly forum to promote information among visitors and build a supportive group for those who are afraid.

On the evening of Dec. 8, approximately 50 people filled the seats of the organization’s large reception room. Those in attendance pertained to all age groups, from children with their school bags to seniors who lived in the area. Some were members of the organization, who sat in the front. Others were new to the forum and sat towards the back and sides.

“Well, who’s getting ready to leave?” joked Mayorga as he walked in and was met with laughter from the audience.

As Mayorga opened the forum, he welcomed the audience and asked each person to introduce themselves and their background. 

“My name is Carlos and I am from Mexico.”

“My name is Juanna and I am from Ecuador.”

People from numerous backgrounds including Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Colombia, and even Spain stood and confidently presented themselves, exemplifying the neighborhood’s diverse background and creating a sense of unity among one another despite being from different countries. 

Mayorga soon began addressing the overall feelings of the room and asking people how they felt in relation to the results of the election and their current situation.

“Afraid,” replied an audience member.

“We’re all worried aren’t we?” asked Mayorga as he was met with a unanimous yes from the crowd.

Carlos Martinez, a member of the organization, expressed his concerns to Mayorga and the audience over recent news and felt that racism against the hispanic community was more evident.

“It makes me feel like things are not going to go well, he said.

Another resident said she heard rumors that some teachers were willing report undocumented parents. She also noticed incidents in the community where people were insulting Spanish speakers. “We have to worry not only about deportation, but racism as well,” she said.

Mayorga explained those reasons indicated the importance of spreading information and said the community still has basic rights regardless of their legal status.

“We need the community to be informed,” Mayorga said as he encouraged the audience to attend forums and spread the word to others as well as participating in demonstrations.  

Despite this, some feared they might be arrested for attending protests. However, Mayorga reassured their safety as he said the organization acts responsibly and attains necessary permits and supervises events.

At the conclusion of the forum, Mayorga reminded the community to remain positive and active during the next few weeks. 

“We’re here to stay neighbors, we’re not leaving,” he said.

Juana Donato, who attended the forum, felt hopeful despite having experienced the effects of deportation firsthand when her husband was deported 20 years ago. 

“It’s not easy but we need to keep fighting and moving forward,” she said.

Numerous parents and children gathered at P.S. 19’s auditorium on the evening of Dec. 5 for an immigration forum hosted by city officials in Corona, Queens. As residents took their seats, the atmosphere reflected their concerns about the future. In a neighborhood largely populated by immigrants, there was one common question on everyone’s mind that night: How will Trump affect me?

Corona is known for its rich diversity of immigrants hailing from different regions of Latin America. Its bustling streets along Roosevelt Avenue are filled with residents and businesses that highlight the neighborhood’s vast immigrant presence, from Mexican restaurants to boutiques offering clothing from Colombia and other countries in South America. 

However, the effects of a Trump presidency in January has been on the minds of many residents, who fear deportation and being separated from their families. Amid increasing worries and fear, officials and community groups have begun responding throughout the city by promising to protect and defend immigrants.

In Corona, this has shaped into an effort to actively inform immigrants about their rights and provide them with supportive resources.

On Dec. 1, officials from the Department of Consumer Affairs and members from neighborhood groups such as Make the Road New York distributed handbooks in the early morning on Corona Plaza. The handbook contained consumer tips for immigrants pertaining to tax preparation, finances, employment agencies and immigration services.

The handbooks were a response to fraudulent immigration services in the area that were charging immigrants for inaccurate information and in specific cases jeopardizing their immigration status.

Community organizer of Make the Road New York, Vicente Mayorga, was part of those distributing the material. He explained that although he was glad the information was being provided to residents, they needed to do more to reach out to people.

“Some people received us well, others are afraid,” said Mayorga. “They believe we are offering something illegal.”

In order to further address community concerns, officials held a panel at P.S. 019 for immigrants to learn about their protections during the Trump presidency. In attendance were representatives from the Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Education, NYC Commission of Human Rights, idNYC, New York Police Department, and immigration attorneys, which evidenced the far reaching influence Trump could have in numerous areas for immigrants.

Although residents welcomed the information at the panel, many still remained anxious.

“As a mother, I’m worried the most about being taken away from my children. They need me to take care of them and I can’t imagine being separated from them,” said a parent who requested to remain anonymous.

Community groups have also stepped up efforts to aid immigrants in Corona.

“We’re doing as much as we can,” said Anthony Posada, a staff attorney from the Legal Aid Society who was present at the panel to provide legal information.

Posada explained that although he understood immigrants were afraid during this time, the organization had built trust with the Corona community through its collaborations with other groups and presence in other neighborhoods. In addition, he stated their efforts in removing ICE from Rikers Island and denouncing immigrant lawyers that defrauded immigrants were significant in maintaining their reliability. 

“Those kinds of actions let immigrant undocumented community know that we have their back and are in in the fight with them,” said Posada. “That helps us overcome a lot of the bad stereotypes that are sometimes attached to free legal aid services.”

______________________________________________

*Interview with Vicente Mayorga rescheduled to this afternoon.

*Interview with Antonio Alarcon, MRNY Community Youth Organizer, who works with college students on Friday.

The rise of building developments have redefined the image of several neighborhoods throughout all five boroughs. Recently, Queens has been impacted by the rise in building developments. A trip on the 7 train alone would reveal the number of buildings rising in Long Island City where factories and icons such as 5 Pointz used to stand. According to 6sqft, there are 30 building in development in Long Island City alone. Thus, the image of Queens is undergoing change.

However, this transformation is concerning to residents who wish to preserve their community’s look. Last week, Community Board 2 in Sunnyside voted on building a new middle school at the location of a vacant building built in the 1920s. Many argued that the building had historical significance due to it’s architecture, which fit in with the rest of the community. Overall, the community overwhelmingly voted on preserving the building or building a structure similar to the image of Sunnyside Gardens. The School Construction Authority, which had presented the project, stated many communities often requested the preservation of buildings or incorporating the original design into projects in order to keep the image of the neighborhood.

Therefore, I would like to look into how preservation groups are working to conserve their neighborhood’s architectural image as building developments move towards neighborhoods in Queens. In particular, I plan to interview a member of the Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance, the Greater Astoria Historical Alliance, and the Long Island City Cultural Alliance. In addition, I plan to interview community members to learn whether they welcome the image change or prefer maintaining it.

A presidential election is a busy time for news organizations as they provide coverage of the campaign trail leading up to election day and the aftermath.

Certainly news plays an essential role during this event as Americans tune in and primarily rely on journalists to attain information about candidates and their policies.

However, this election year proved to be a setback for American journalism. As Election Day approached, numerous news outlets projected Hillary Clinton would win the election. The public was so assured by the media after months of coverage that when the actual results began to develop everyone was left shocked.

The seemingly impossible had happened.

Donald J. Trump had won the presidency.

How could this have happened and why did nobody see this coming? What went wrong? These were the questions among many Americans that night who had relied on the information provided by the news sources.

On June 16, 2015, Trump first announced he would be running for change promising to make America great again. He immediately caught the attention of news organizations not only because of his celebrity status but his controversial comments in which he accused Mexico of sending people who brought drugs, crime, and rapists.

This was the beginning of numerous controversial remarks he would make throughout his campaign as he gained considerable coverage and was featured extensively on the news for his latest comment. However, the journalistic following he gained never took him seriously as a candidate in his early campaigning.

Instead he seemed like many celebrities on the news today featuring their latest scandal, which appealed to audiences. This status was reason enough for people to believe he would not gain the republican nomination or even still be around in November 2016.

Eventually, he attained the republican nomination in July  2016. These were early signs that he had been underestimated as a candidate and a foreshadowing of November.

Journalists continued coverage as the race was narrowed between Trump and Clinton. By this time, Trump had already gained significant media coverage.

Benjamin Fang, a reporter for the Queens Ledger who followed the election closely, explained that Trump’s status contributed to his attention.  

“Trump was certainly the most interesting and entertaining candidate in the race, and it appears airing his speeches made for good television ratings. That often meant more money and clout for the cable news networks,” said Fang.

Ironically, the significant amount of coverage he gained actually ended up cementing his status among his voters.

“During the Republican primary, news organizations, specifically cable news like CNN and MSNBC, tended to show Trump’s speeches nearly in their entirety. That bias allowed voters to see Trump as not just a serious candidate, but for his message to get through without his campaign actually paying for airtime,” said Fang.

By February of 2016 he had earned approximately $2 billion in free media which was twice the amount spent on any entire presidential campaign, according to a New York Times article.

As Election Day approached, polling increased and became prevalent among viewers and readers who were informed Clinton was in the lead. Although coverage continued, the focus was more set on the outcome of the election.  According to the Fang, this was an issue throughout the election race.

“The media often provided horserace coverage and political analysis. But what was severely lacking was a constant focus on the issues,” said Fang.

When the election results were announced, it was these factors on behalf of news media that played a role in the final outcome.

The earlier predictions issued by credible sources such as the New York Times were proven wrong and journalists were left to assess what had happened.

However, this wasn’t the only setback that night for journalism.

It is certain now that the American public’s trust of media will only decline further as a result of this election.

According to U.S. World and News Report, only 32 percent of Americans stated they had a fair amount of trust in the media in September.

Fang stated the outcome will have repercussions on that trust which has also been affected by the public turning towards news that fits their viewpoint.  

“More and more people are turning away from trusted news sources like the New York Times or Washington Post in favor of their own partisan media. It’s a trend that has divided the country. Conservatives prefer not just Fox News, but also websites like The Blaze and Breitbart, which often provide shady and untruthful information. Liberals often rely on the same type of media, said Fang.

In addition to this dilemma, Trump has been vocal about his opposition to certain news outlets throughout his presidential campaign. In February, he stated he would “open up libel laws” to allow journalists to be sued when they write “purposely negative and horrible and false articles.” He also blacklisted organizations such as The Washington Post.

These actions would prove to be detrimental to journalist’s

“As journalists, we have to defend our right to report the news and tell the facts, even if we have to go to court,” said Fang. “It means not allowing Trump to bully the media, and even if we’re blacklisted, have the audacity to write about it. The media have to keep the powerful accountable.”

News organizations in the United States will face a long road ahead over the next four years. They must not only regain the public’s trust but also face a President who is openly opposed to them and threatens their duty to report.

During this time, news organizations must reevaluate their coverage, fact checking, and focus on issues not only for a Trump presidency but for future elections ahead.

“I received my electronic pay stub and I was missing 20 hours,” said Sarah Wasser.

“I was asked to work an event on October 10 and I was told I would be paid for the hours and those six hours were missing,” said Wasser.

“I was thinking they told me they were going to pay me for the event but they’re actually not going to,” said Wasser.

“I ended up emailing the accountant and he said he will look into it,” said Wasser.

In 1994, Vicente Mayorga and his wife first arrived to the United States from Ecuador in search of better job opportunities. His story resembled that of many people in the United States today, he had entered the country illegally.

Today, Mayorga works as a community organizer at Make the Road New York, an organization dedicated to community rights in Jackson Heights, Queens. In this capacity, he serves the same people he was once a part of.

“One of my advantages was my experience in the immigration system. I personally know what it is like to be undocumented, I understand that pain and I learned how to give people hope,” said Mayorga. “I learned how to help people by assuming the roles of a social worker and a counselor.”

Since his arrival to the United States, Mayorga underwent the experiences of being undocumented. Although he graduated with a degree in business administration and accounting in Ecuador, Mayorga worked numerous jobs similar to many undocumented residents and learned the difficulties they faced.

“Since I didn’t understand how the law functioned, the injustice, maltreatment, discrimination, and exploitation that I lived as an immigrant motivated me to become involved in organizations to learn how the system functioned, what the laws were, what our rights are whether you’re documented or undocumented, and what kind of protection we have,” said Mayorga.

These experiences led Mayorga to be involved in Make the Road New York, where he serves approximately 100 people seeking immigration consultation per week.

Currently, illegal immigration continues to be a debated issue in the United States between those who support an immigration reform that would provide the legalization of those living undocumented in the country and those who oppose it. In particular, this issue has been significantly present in the 2016 presidential election, in which candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have offered contrast approaches and solutions.

Mayorga, who has been closely following the election, explained both candidates have their own problems.

“Hillary Clinton has stated in that her first 100 days she will work towards immigration reform. Obama said the same thing. He said in the first 100 days there would be immigration reform. His two terms have culminated with the highest level of deportations, which his administration was involved in. He was called deporter in chief. Now we have Clinton who is making the same promise,” said Mayorga.

He also expressed criticism towards Donald Trump due to his negative approach to illegal immigrants, which he views as a reversal of social progress in the United States.

“If we are the leader of democracy in the world and someone like Donald Trump becomes president it would be a setback to previous periods of intolerance, threats, and abuse that the United States already surpassed,” said Mayorga.  

Mayorga stated the actions Trump wants to take would be harmful towards illegal immigrants who already deal with issues such as high rates of deportation. According to the Mayorga, these attitudes are harmful toward families that are separated as a result. Although he was never deported, Mayorga personally felt the impact of being separated from his two sons, who were children when he left and were adults when he returned.

“My wife and I came here and we had to leave our children in our country and we saw them again 13 years later,” said Mayorga. “There is an emptiness that remains in the existence of our family that can never be recovered.”

Initially, Mayorga was having difficulty finding work in Ecuador even with his degree. The lack of a financial income ultimately led him to leave his country. According to Mayorga, this is an issue that many illegal immigrants find themselves in and is the reason they are forced to leave their homes and families behind.

Although Mayorga and his wife were able to attain their residency through a family petition in March 2007, he explained seeing his sons again was a mix of guilt and happiness because of the time they all missed together.

“It is outrageous that these laws allow families to suffer because that separation is indescribable,” said Mayorga.  

Despite working with undocumented immigrants, Mayorga stated he does not feel the people he works with will be affected in adverse ways from the results of the election. Instead, he feels his work will be more impacted by the stance they will take towards either candidate if they become president.  

“One side promises to hurt us and we won’t allow it. The other side is promising relief so we need to make sure they keep their promise,” said Mayorga.

Mayorga stated he does not believe Trump will go through with his immigration policies if he is elected president. According to the people he interacts with, they don’t plan on voting for him and those who can’t vote don’t fear him. He added that the community would quickly respond if he were elected and attempted to implement his proposals.

“We would be willing to go on the streets to tell him it’s not going to happen. It is through peaceful demonstrations that we are able to achieve change,” said Mayorga.  

In regards to Clinton, he stated she has to be held accountable for her promise to provide immigration reform and the community needs to work to ensure she keeps it if she is elected.

“There is a bit of hope with Hillary Clinton. If I had to choose between the two, the lesser of evils is Clinton,” said Mayorga.

Regardless of the elected candidate, Mayorga maintained the most important aspect was bringing about immigration reform in the United States.

“There should be a change in immigration laws that incorporates legalization for all, a path to citizenship, and protection at the border without violating human rights,” said Mayorga. “Human mobility should be eased. It isn’t justifiable that capital and goods can move freely and human beings can’t.”

By Mark Garzon, Sarah Wasser, Xunqing Zheng, and Kevin Wang

The oil pipeline project in North Dakota has garnered controversy among environmentalists and advocacy groups who oppose it since it would impact drinking water and disturb tribal sites.

Since then, groups have gathered to protest at the site but have been met with significant resistance from police. This included the use of pepper spray and police dogs on protestors.

Despite this, it received low media coverage until Amy Goodman, a reporter for Democracy Now! covered what was occurring and published a video and article which raised national awareness.

By journalistic standards, Goodman had simply exercised her First Amendment right as reporter to inform audiences of the situation at the site. She committed no wrong.

However, authorities begged to differ and charged her with trespassing, which was eventually changed to rioting charges since the prosecutor believed trespassing wouldn’t stand in court.

Although the charges were dropped by a North Dakota judge last week, the fact she was charged in the first place raises concerns.

Goodman’s actions were protected by the First Amendment, which allowed her to report on anything that occurred at the site. The actions taken by North Dakota authorities violated her rights as a citizen as well as her duty as a reporter.

In this case, it’s clear Goodman did not commit any wrongdoing. The prosecutor’s actions indicate they simply found charges to place on her since they had to switch the initial ones. Instead, it comes off as a way of reprimanding Goodman for her reporting.

The idea that authorities were trying to restrict her right to report on a site that was initially receiving low media coverage is alarming.

Sources:

http://www.salon.com/2016/09/12/arrest-warrant-issued-for-journalist-amy-goodman-after-reporting-on-dakota-access-oil-pipeline-protests/

https://www.rt.com/usa/363017-reporter-riot-dakota-pipeline/

 

 

 

 

Immigration is currently one of the most divisive issues in the U.S. and has played a significant role in the 2016 presidential election.

Donald Trump has stated he plans to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, block funding to sanctuary cities, terminate Obama’s executive amnesties, and suspend immigration from Syria and Libya until there is adequate screening.

Hillary Clinton’s position is to introduce comprehensive immigration reform, defend Obama’s executive amnesties, and increase Syrian refugees in the U.S.

Therefore, both candidates would affect this issue in contrast ways.

I plan to interview Steven Choi, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, on this issue in relation to the 2016 presidential election.

Choi’s organization promotes immigrant political civic and political rights as well as supporting immigration reform.

Choi has voiced his support of Syrian refugees, defended sanctuary cities, and providing immigrants with support.

Therefore, he would suit this article because of his involvement in the issue and how his organization would be affected by the election of either candidate, especially because there are nearly 200 immigration advocacy groups under it. In addition, New York is among the top five states with the highest number of undocumented immigrants. 

As the evening began, residents gathered outside the Holiday Inn in Maspeth, Queens.

Many of them arrived with posters, megaphones, whistles, and even drums as they walked towards the building. The crowd ranged from young to older residents and even families.

They soon began to circle the front of the hotel with their signs. Their chants echoed “no homeless shelter” to the tune of their instruments.

This had been the scene outside the hotel for the past six weeks.

In August, city officials announced a proposal to convert the hotel into a homeless shelter for families with an opening date set for October 1. The plan was immediately met with opposition from residents who sought to prevent the conversion primarily due to safety concerns.

Since then, residents held demonstrations in front of the hotel every evening at 6:30 p.m. as well as a march and a public hearing. However Harshad Patel, owner of the Holiday Inn, announced the plan was canceled and he would not be going through with the plan on September 8, according to the New York Post.

Despite this, residents have continued protesting.

“I think the whole thing was for him to make us stop,” said Helen McGrath, owner of Hairitage Salon and resident of the neighborhood. She explained that after Patel’s announcement, he never communicated with protesters again and left them feeling uncertain about his statement. Although some residents believed they had succeeded in their efforts, McGrath believes it was actually a strategy aimed to bring an end to the protests.

McGrath, who has resided in the neighborhood for 30 years, has been actively involved in community efforts opposing the shelter since its announcement through her hair salon.

Currently, she sells white t-shirts with the inscription “No Illegal Homeless Shelter In Maspeth” at her business. The shirts cost $4.50 and she sells them for $10 and donates the remaining half to the effort. McGrath has also been issuing a special card with her signatures among her customers which contributes the entire cost of a haircut to the collection. The funds all go towards a fundraiser held by the community to hire a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the proposal. According to McGrath, they have raised about $40,000 and need to reach $100,000.

This would be the second lawsuit against the proposed shelter. In September, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley announced to residents she had a filed a lawsuit at a Community Board 5 hearing.

However, McGrath has expressed her doubts about its success since the lawsuit is based on the lack of kitchens in the rooms.

“We stand a better lawsuit. This place, it’s illegal to have residents there. It’s a commercial zone. It shouldn’t be for children or for adults,” said McGrath. This issue has been shared by protestors who argue the area is a commercial zone with no beneficial amenities for the homeless.

Protesters have also shown doubt towards their officials and have openly criticized them throughout this issue due to lack of their communication and appearances at demonstrations to support them.

“I think the people want to trust their elected officials and they want to rely on them but they they’re not willing to go into this with blind faith anymore,” said Michael Papa, a resident who has been active throughout the protests.

Papa was among residents who first heard about the proposal in August at a meeting at Martin Luther High School. At the conclusion of the meeting, he led the first rally at the hotel and was arrested.

Since then, Papa has attended the protests stating he has only missed one. He has played a prominent role as a speaker at demonstrations and participating by putting up signs, stages, and working with other organizers toward the same goal.

“My main concerns are quality of life issues, safety issues, and the biggest thing for me is really just the way the politicians and these nonprofits are earning money off the backs of hardworking taxpayers while helping no one, especially the homeless,” said Papa.

Papa’s sentiments resonate those of residents who believe the proposed shelter is the owners means of earning money through the city’s homeless problem rather than finding a permanent and inexpensive solution.

Despite expressing their concerns, protesters have felt characterized as being against the homeless by the media. Papa said he experienced this after being interviewed and reading the story with many of statements missing.

“They’re villainizing us and we’re not villains,” said Papa. “We’re good people, we’re families.”

McGrath shared similar sentiments stating, “We are not against the homeless. I don’t think the homeless should live in a warehouse, in a hotel like that.”

Although the shelter’s opening is uncertain, residents still have plans to protest at Patel’s other hotels and Gracie Mansion where Mayor de Blasio resides, according to a community meeting on Thursday. The efforts to gather lawyer funds will also continue.

“We need to go from door to door and this is my next step,” said McGrath. “I think I’m going to go with two or three more people together so we try to get every homeowner and every business owner.”