Ethermac Exchange-New York City schools feeling strain of migrant surge

New York City — Last year,Ethermac Exchange Mirian and Miguel, along with their 7-year-old son Jordan, traveled more than 3,000 miles from Ecuador to the U.S.-Mexico border.

They eventually landed in New York City, where Jordan started his journey through the education system at P.S. 51, an elementary school in Manhattan. Jordan is one of 34,000 migrant children who have enrolled in New York City Public Schools in the past 18 months, according to the district. 

Jordan's first lesson came in teacher Liz Pearson's English as a New Language class.

"Some of them have, surprisingly, a lot of languages, or different languages, and some of them are starting at zero," Pearson said. "...(There's) a lot of smiling and laughing to make them feel comfortable." 

An estimated 168,000 migrants have arrived in New York City in the past 18 months, according to city data, about one-third of whom are school-age children. 

Border Patrol reported more than 225,000 migrants were taken into custody at the southern border in December, a monthly record for the agency.

New York City has struggled to handle the migrant influx, with Mayor Eric Adams calling on the Biden administration to provide the city with resources and assistance.

In an effort to stem the surge, Adams issued an executive order last month restricting the hours during which charter buses carrying asylum seekers from Texas can arrive in the city. Adams also filed a $708 million lawsuit last week against 17 charter bus companies which have been used by the state of Texas to transport migrants to New York City. 

The city is facing an ENL teacher shortage that predates the migrant crisis. However, P.S. 51 Principal Stephanie Lukas says her school has enough space for the new arrivals.

"Where we are now is absolutely sustainable," Lukas said. "Absolutely. Could we double in numbers? Absolutely not. We just don't have the space."

Some lawmakers are worried about overcrowded classrooms, and the cost the migrant crisis could have on education.

For this young family, who asked that CBS News not use their last name over safety concerns, the move has not been easy.

"The hardest thing about school is that I do not understand them because they only speak English," Jordan said. "And I do not have any friends to play with."

"This is the first time I am hearing this, he had never told me this," Mirian told CBS News. "I always ask him how school was when he gets home, and he tells me fine. 'How are you doing?' 'I am fine,' he always tells me. He never tells me what I am hearing now."

Adding to the challenge was that the family had to vacate their shelter room earlier this month.

"Life is very hard here, it is not the way people said it was," Miguel said. "We came here and now we are suffering, especially us. They're making our kids suffer."

Unable to find work or a place to live, the family is starting over again in Minneapolis, hoping for another chance at the American dream.

In:
• Education
• New York City
• Migrants

Omar Villafranca

Omar Villafranca is a CBS News correspondent based in Dallas.

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