2K Migrants Evacuated From Floyd Bennett Field Tents As Storm Looms

NEW YORK CITY ? Nearly 2,000 migrants had to pull up stakes from the city's controversial Floyd Bennett Field tent shelter ahead of a looming major storm, officials said.

The evacuation Tuesday came after forecasters warned the storm could bring 70-mph winds, a City Hall spokespersons said.

"To be clear, this relocation is a proactive measure being taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals working and living at the center," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The asylum seekers ? who number roughly 1,900 ? will be relocated until weather conditions improve and the tent shelter is again fit for living, city officials said.

Advocates, however, argued the evacuation foreshadows more problems to come at Floyd Bennett Field.

"This last-minute evacuation further proves that Floyd Bennett Field - a facility mired in a flood zone, miles from schools and other services - has never and will never serve as an appropriate and safe place to shelter families with children," a joint statement from The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless read.

"The City has provided scant details on its plan for these families, including where exactly they will be moved and for how long and, most importantly, if those temporary locations comply with the shelter requirements for families with children as prescribed by the court and by law."

The sentiment was shared by Council Member Inna Vernikov, who is typically not an ally of The Legal Aid Society.

But Vernikov went further by decrying the decision to temporarily transfer the migrants to James Madison High School for them to weather the storm.

"As an elected official representing this community, I demand a full stop to using our public schools as a shelter ever again," she tweeted.