(NewsNation) — Schools opened Tuesday in some sanctuary cities across the country with tens of thousands of children who illegally crossed the border packing already overcrowded halls. Now, a New York City councilwoman is sounding the alarm, saying the migrant crisis in the city is reaching the classroom.
Vickie Paladino, a Republican councilwoman for northeast Queens, says in an area she represents, there are about 500 kids waiting to get into public schools. She says it’s “totally out of control.”
“In my borough alone, the borough of Queens, we have approximately 500 kids in my borough down in an area called Jamaica, where they’re waiting around the corner – 500 a day – to get into our public schools,” Paladino told “On Balance” host Leland Vittert.
In New York City, officials are struggling to place around 19,000 migrant children enrolled in public schools. Paladino said the school system is not ready for the influx of students, citing language barriers and teacher shortages as the primary reasons.
“We are not prepared,” Paladino said. “It’s not just Spanish, the one language, we’re talking about 11 different languages right now, which our teachers are not prepared for. The Chancellor also stated that we don’t have enough teachers.”
NYC school Chancellor David Banks said that “everything has been OK” so far.
“We understand that every child has a right to an education, and this belief is at the core of the values of New Yorkers and Americans,” Banks said, later adding, “We started welcoming these students in last year … and when you see the way the teachers, the guidance counselors, the social workers, the parents at the schools, it has really been an open-arms situation.”
Paladino said New York will open parochial schools Wednesday and public schools Thursday.
“We have 1.1 million New Yorkers who attend our public schools. Now add on to that the influx of the migrants, and you have yourself a real mess,” Paladino said.
New York City has provided shelter and care for more than 100,000 asylum-seekers who have arrived in the five boroughs since April of last year.