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Javier Alvarez

Photographer

www.javieralvarezm.com/

Looking for asylum in NYC

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Clients: Washington Post, Bloomberg, Alloy, Aperture Foundation, Care:Work

Families arriving on Christmas ...orough of Queens, New York, US.

1 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Families arriving on Christmas Eve at the migrant center shelter, erected at Floyd Bennett Field. The city of New York chose an abandoned airport in a flooding zone to set up plastic tents to provide shelter for 2000 individuals, in the borough of Queens, New York, US.

Families arriving on Christmas ...orough of Queens, New York, US.

2 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Families arriving on Christmas Eve at the migrant center shelter, erected at Floyd Bennett Field. The city of New York chose an abandoned airport in a flooding zone to set up plastic tents to provide shelter for 2000 individuals, in the borough of Queens, New York, US.

Inside the reticketing center a...essed. Manhattan, New York, US.

3 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Inside the reticketing center at the Roosevelt Hotel, people could wait for more than eight hours to get their petition processed. Manhattan, New York, US.

Hildalyn Colón Hern&...Queens borough of New York, US.

4 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Hildalyn Colón Hernández, deputy director of the New Immigrant Community Empowerment (Nice) in the Queens borough of New York, US.

The intersection of 69th St and...Queens borough of New York, US.

5 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

The intersection of 69th St and Roosevelt Avenue, outside the offices of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (Nice) in the Queens borough of New York, US.69th St and Roosevelt Avenue, outside the offices of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (Nice) in the Queens borough of New York, US.

Workers assist migrants at New ...Queens borough of New York, US.

6 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Workers assist migrants at New Immigrant Community Empowerment (Nice) in the Queens borough of New York, US.

David Toaquiza at New Immigrant...Queens borough of New York, US.

7 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

David Toaquiza at New Immigrant Community Empowerment (Nice) in the Queens borough of New York, US.

Job seekers approaching vehicle...Queens borough of New York, US.

8 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Job seekers approaching vehicles who are looking for workers at the intersection of 69th St and Roosevelt Avenue, outside the offices of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (Nice) in the Queens borough of New York, US.

A dozen asylum-seekers receivin...l, in Manhattan, New York, US.

9 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

A dozen asylum-seekers receiving meals at Tompkins Square Park, while waiting in the cold for a ticket to reapply for shelter, at the relocation center in St. Brigid Elementary School, in Manhattan, New York, US.

A dozen asylum-seekers receivin...l, in Manhattan, New York, US.

10 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

A dozen asylum-seekers receiving meals at Tompkins Square Park, while waiting in the cold for a ticket to reapply for shelter, at the relocation center in St. Brigid Elementary School, in Manhattan, New York, US.

A group of kids from the Roosev... of Manhattan, in New York, US.

11 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

A group of kids from the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter, screaming at a story from "Los Cuenta Cuentos". Silvana Sterin, an Argentinian journalist, and her two teenage kids organized every Sunday "Los Cuenta Cuentos", a morning workshop where she would bring donations during the week, and at the same time offered activities for the kids living at the shelter at the Hotel, in the borough of Manhattan, in New York, US.

Argentinian journalist and acti... of Manhattan, in New York, US.

12 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Argentinian journalist and activist, Silvina Sterin, outside the Roosevelt Hotel, gathering families with kids, to invite them for a book reading morning activity. Silvana and her two teenage kids, organized every Sunday "Los Cuenta Cuentos", a morning workshop where she would bring donations during the week, and at the same time offered activities for the kids living at the shelter at the Hotel, in the borough of Manhattan, in New York, US.

The evangelical group Ekklesia,...e law for the right to shelter.

13 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

The evangelical group Ekklesia, at an emergency community service outside the Roosevelt Hotel, in the borough of Manhattan in New York, US. They provided asylum seekers with hot meals and winter clothes during the first snowstorm of the year in NY, while thousands of migrants were expected to be evicted in the last week of October after Major Eric Adams announced the end of the law for the right to shelter.

The evangelical group Ekklesia,...e law for the right to shelter.

14 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

The evangelical group Ekklesia, at an emergency community service outside the Roosevelt Hotel, in the borough of Manhattan in New York, US. They provided asylum seekers with hot meals and winter clothes during the first snowstorm of the year in NY, while thousands of migrants were expected to be evicted in the last week of October after Major Eric Adams announced the end of the law for the right to shelter.

Family groups outside the La Jo...uring their asylum application.

15 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Family groups outside the La Jornada church, after receiving Christmas donations, provided by Latino communities in the borough of Queens of New York, US. La Jornada, assists migrants with their paperwork and legal needs, providing them with guidance and support during their asylum application.

Staff members from 'La ...uring their asylum application.

16 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Staff members from 'La Jornada', during Christmas donation activities in the borough of Queens of New York, US. La Jornada, assists migrants with their paperwork and legal needs, providing them with guidance and support during their asylum application.

People signing up for legal ass...uring their asylum application.

17 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

People signing up for legal assistance at La Jornada offices in the borough of Queens of New York, US. La Jornada, assists migrants with their paperwork and legal needs, providing them with guidance and support during their asylum application.

Argelia Giménez, a 4...hattan borough of New York, US.

18 of 18 © 2024 Javier Alvarez

Argelia Giménez, a 40-year-old Venezuelan who arrived in New York last August, is living in a city-sponsored hotel with her husband and two daughters and receives a preloaded debit card from the city for her expenses. She relies on nonprofits and churches for essentials like food, clothing, and toiletries, in the Manhattan borough of New York, US.

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Thumbnail of Families arriving on Christmas E_borough of Queens, New York, US.

Thumbnail of Families arriving on Christmas E_borough of Queens, New York, US.

Thumbnail of Inside the reticketing center at_cessed. Manhattan, New York, US.

Thumbnail of Hildalyn Colón Hern&a_ Queens borough of New York, US.

Thumbnail of The intersection of 69th St and _ Queens borough of New York, US.

Thumbnail of Workers assist migrants at New I_ Queens borough of New York, US.

Thumbnail of David Toaquiza at New Immigrant _ Queens borough of New York, US.

Thumbnail of Job seekers approaching vehicles_ Queens borough of New York, US.

Thumbnail of A dozen asylum-seekers receiving_ol, in Manhattan, New York, US.

Thumbnail of A dozen asylum-seekers receiving_ol, in Manhattan, New York, US.

Thumbnail of A group of kids from the Rooseve_h of Manhattan, in New York, US.

Thumbnail of Argentinian journalist and activ_h of Manhattan, in New York, US.

Thumbnail of The evangelical group Ekklesia, _he law for the right to shelter.

Thumbnail of The evangelical group Ekklesia, _he law for the right to shelter.

Thumbnail of Family groups outside the La Jor_during their asylum application.

Thumbnail of Staff members from 'La J_during their asylum application.

Thumbnail of People signing up for legal assi_during their asylum application.

Thumbnail of Argelia Giménez, a 40_nhattan borough of New York, US.

Public Project

Looking for asylum in NYC

Copyright Javier Alvarez 2024

Updated Aug 2024

Location SANTIAGO

Topics Documentary, Mixed Medium, Photography, Portraiture, Spotlight

During the winter of 2024, Major Eric Adams abolished the right-to-shelter law, after the city got 110.000 newcomers in a single year. These individuals received notices to reapply for shelter or find alternative housing solutions. Despite the city's efforts, limited resources meant that families had to endure long wait times for a ticket, increased spike in homelessness, urban displacement, and school interruptions, added to the political and xenophobic pressure by minority far-right groups.

However, civic organizations constantly provided aid where the state felt short. This report shows the work in the field of NGOs like La Jornada, Ekklesia, Rosseau Project, and NICE, among others. All of them accomplished a critical role during the largest migrant wave of evictions impacting over 3,500 asylum seekers in a single week.

Coverages for Bloomberg/Getty Images, and MidiaNinja.

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