About two dozen South Bronx residents gathered on Feb. 4 to protest the city’s plan to open a 2,200-bed migrant shelter at East 141st Street and Bruckner Boulevard—an announcement that took even local elected officials by surprise.

Led by Bishop Boyde Singletary of the Alpha and Omega Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, demonstrators stood outside the massive building where internal construction is already underway, chanting, “We don’t want it!” and “Shut it down!” The protest was the first of two planned for this week.

Residents voiced frustration over what they described as a lack of community input in the decision-making process, particularly in a neighborhood they say is already oversaturated with shelters and social services.

“We were never consulted,” Singletary said. “The city just decided this for us, and we’re saying no.”

The shelter, which is among the largest planned in the city’s efforts to house newly arrived migrants, has been met with growing opposition. Critics argue that the South Bronx has disproportionately shouldered the burden of housing shelters, while others have raised concerns about resources for longtime residents.

City officials have defended the decision, citing the urgent need for temporary housing amid an ongoing influx of asylum seekers. The mayor’s office has yet to respond to the specific concerns raised by South Bronx residents.

At the rally, Pastor Cheryl Singletary told the Bronx Times that as a former PTA president, she has seen firsthand the power of parents and concerned residents speaking out against decisions that impact their community.

Years ago, she and other parents successfully protested a pornography shop slated to open on East 138th Street, leading to the plan’s cancellation. “We did that with parents,” Singletary said.

Now, she and others are fighting against the city’s plan for a 2,200-bed migrant shelter. “We don’t need that in this community,” she said, lamenting the loss of spaces that once served local residents, such as the long-shuttered recreation center at St. Mary’s Park. “Don’t put something there that we don’t believe in.”

City officials have described the shelter as a temporary measure, intended to scale down as the migrant population declines. But Singletary remained skeptical. “I don’t believe that,” she said. “Why do they say that? To make us feel good, to keep us quiet?”

Edwin Valentin, a South Bronx resident of 15 years, echoed that concern. “[The city is] not giving us a timeframe of what ‘temporary’ actually means,” he said. “They just dump things on us.”

Clarisa Alayeto, chairperson of Bronx Community Board 1, attended the rally, as did Tyreek Goodman, who is running against her and others in the upcoming election for Council District 8. Alayeto led the recent board meeting where city officials shared details about the new shelter, which did little to quell residents’ opposition. 

“We’re at capacity,” Alayeto said. “Put this shelter in another location.” 

Goodman, who is running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines, expressed the need for residents to work together across party lines to oppose the site. He also announced another protest scheduled for Friday afternoon. Regardless of political affiliation, “We’re all sick and tired of not being heard,” he said.

A woman with an infant in a stroller urged the group to attend protests, write letters and make phone calls to elected officials to make their voices heard. “The Bronx has to be united,” she said. 

The woman expressed skepticism about the shelter’s safety measures, which will include a curfew, security cameras, guards and metal detectors, according to city officials. She noted that although the area seems isolated, there are residents nearby and schools not far from the site. “They already explained how they’ll be safe inside, but what about outside?”

The city’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations plans to open the site in late February, and residents believe that even though the contract is signed, they may still have time to make a difference. The New York Young Republicans Club is hosting another rally at 1:00 on Friday, Feb. 7. As Boyde Singletary told the group, “The work has just begun.”

Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes