NEW YORK (AP) — Police searched New York City's largest asylum-seeker shelter for hours Friday for “dangerous contraband” as many of the 3,000 residents waited outside on a sweltering summer day.
Many details remained unclear about the search on Randall's Island, which houses people in large tents.
“They just came with dogs,” resident Clifton Arriste said as he sat outside the tents in the early evening, unsure what the animals were brought to sniff for.
Police Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said in a midafternoon social media post that there was “an operation” to “remove any dangerous contraband from the shelter.”
“The safety and security of all New Yorkers, and every single person in our care, is our top priority,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The police department didn't answer follow-up questions about the duration of the search, what it entailed, the impetus for it and any steps being taken to ensure shelter residents' welfare on a day when temperatures topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) on a humid afternoon. By early evening, most people were back inside the tents.
Advocates for the migrants decried the search.
“Temporarily displacing and conducting a police raid on 3,000 new arrivals, despite today’s heat advisory, not only raises serious constitutional questions but is draconian and fuels dangerous xenophobic sentiment," the Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless said in a statement.
Since the spring of 2022, about 207,000 migrants have arrived and sought aid in New York City, and about 65,000 remain in city care, Mayor Eric Adams said at a town hall meeting Wednesday. Adams, a Democrat, said about 1,000 migrants now arrive weekly, down from a peak of 4,000.
The city has housed them in hotels, empty schools and other facilities, including at Randall's Island.
Concerns about safety and violence in and around the city's various migrant shelters have flared periodically.
In a recent example, a woman was shot dead and two people were wounded early Monday in a Randall’s Island park where people had come together to react to Venezuela’s presidential election. Police said they believed the shooter was retaliating after being robbed at gunpoint earlier.
The mayor, a retired police captain, said this winter that metal detectors would be installed at the Randall's Island facility. He has also said, however, that troublemakers are few considering the number of people in the shelters.
Arriste, who is from gang-violence-wracked Haiti, said he had never seen drugs or weapons at the shelter but was concerned for his security at times.
“Sometimes people just can get fighting together, and when they get fighting, that’s when everything can happen,” he said. “We’re not safe in this way.”
Asylum seekers watch police activity on the migrant shelter at Randall's Island, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. Police searched New York City's largest asylum-seeker shelter for hours Friday, saying they were looking for any "dangerous contraband" among its 3,000 residents, many of whom waited outside on a sweltering summer day. (AP Photo/David R. Martin)
Asylum seekers watch police activity on the migrant shelter at Randall's Island, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. Police searched New York City's largest asylum-seeker shelter for hours Friday, saying they were looking for any "dangerous contraband" among its 3,000 residents, many of whom waited outside on a sweltering summer day. (AP Photo/David R. Martin)
ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer against his former team and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Atlanta 9-0 on Monday night, dropping the Braves out of a playoff position.
Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4 with a walk and a pair of run-scoring grounders that increased his RBIs total to 108. He did not hit a home run or steal a base during the series, remaining at 47 home runs and 48 steals as he tries to become the first 50-50 player.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed four hits and two walks in four innings, throwing 72 pitches in his second start since returning from a right arm injury — up from 59 on Sept. 10.
“We've tried to take our time with him and make sure he is at full health and built him up the right way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It is a shot in the arm and he knows how valuable he is to our club. These last two starts, I feel like we have a good foundation and we are almost to the point where we can just let him go.”
The Dodgers extended their scoreless streak to 15 innings and pitched their 13th shutout.
NL West-leading Los Angeles (89-61) began the night 3 1/2 games behind second place San Diego. The Dodgers scored nine runs on just four hits for the second time since 1906: The other was on June 4, 2021, also at Atlanta.
After losing the first two games of the series by a combined 16-3, the Dodgers outscored the Braves 18-2 over the last two.
“When you start off a series like this at the end of the year and you want to play well and drop the first two, to come back and respond, I thought that was big by the team,” Freeman said. “I’ve played a long time and that was probably one of the weirdest offensive games I’ve been a part of.”
Atlanta (81-69) dropped one game behind the New York Mets (82-68) for the NL's third wild card spot. The Braves were 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 10 against Yamamoto.
Los Angeles took advantage of seven walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch. Miguel Rojas was 1 for 1 with two walks, a steal and three runs scored.
“He really exemplifies what I expect in a ballplayer,” Roberts said. “Tonight, he won a ballgame for us.”
Max Fried (9-10) gave up three runs and two hits in six innings
Fried threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the first after Rojas walked, advanced on a grounder and stole third. Rojas' run-scoring single and Ohtani's RBI grounder boosted the lead to 3-0 in the fifth.
Freeman capped a six-run seventh with his 22nd homer after Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández drove in runs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: C Austin Barnes was placed on the 10-day IL with a left big toe fracture. C Hunter Feduccia was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... RHP Joe Kelly (right shoulder inflammation) rejoined the team in Atlanta and could be activated while the team is in Miami this week.
Braves: 2B Ozzie Albies (wrist) is scheduled to play second base for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday and Wednesday. If that goes well, he could rejoin the Braves in Miami on Friday.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Bobby Miller (2-4, 8.17) will open a three-game series in Miami on Tuesday night against Marlins RHP Darren McCaughan (0-0, 7.06), starting a stretch of six games against last-place teams.
Braves: Rookie RHP Grant Holmes (2-1, 3.49) faces Reds LHP Brandon Williamson (0-0, 2.08) to start a three-game series at Cincinnati on Tuesday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches a pitch go by called strike in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, tags second base before Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia, right, can get the ball in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani checks the scoreboard from the dugout in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches the scoreboard before his turn at bat in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates in the dugout after Freddie Freeman hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman swings in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman celebrates in the dugout after hitting three-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández celebrates in the dugout after Freddie Freeman hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
