Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
No arrests, no contraband found in NYPD raid on Randall's Island migrant shelter
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Aug 6, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
José A. Alvarado Jr. / Gothamist
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Aug 6, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
How much contraband did the NYPD find when officers descended on the migrant shelter at Randall’s Island for a surprise search, displacing the 3,000 residents for hours in Friday’s 90-degree heat?
An NYPD spokesperson told Gothamist on Tuesday that none was found. The department also confirmed there were no arrests, which fueled criticism from officials with the Legal Aid Society, who argued that the display of force was unwarranted.
"The fact that they didn't find anything shows that the scope of the operation may have been an overreaction to a problem that doesn't exist," Josh Goldfein, Legal Aid staff attorney, said.
The sweep followed a shooting near the site early last week that left one migrant woman dead and two others injured. A suspect fled on a moped, according to police.
The NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Kaz Daughtry, announced the search in a social media post early Friday afternoon, saying the "safety and security" of all New Yorkers was the top priority of the department.
The Legal Aid Society criticized the search, arguing it might violate constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. They reported that the 3,000 migrants living at the site were forced to leave the tent encampment while police searched, and noted that police remained on the scene for several hours afterward.
“Just by doing this, you have driven a wedge between the clients and the staff,” Goldfein said.
On Friday, migrant street vendors selling chips, cigarettes and cold drinks were relocated from their usual position at the end of the Wards Island Bridge to a nearby pedestrian path.
Several migrants living at the site told Gothamist that fights and petty thefts were common occurrences, making safety a real concern.
“It's good for our security. You know, it's good for us,” a shelter resident, Ibrahim Kaba, told CBS 2. “It's to protect us. We don't know what is inside. So let's say if they have a gun or some drugs, taking that out is good for us.”
Tagged
Asylum Seekers
nypd
Race And Justice Unit
randall's island
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .