Thousands of migrant families living in New York City's emergency shelter system face a grim and cold New Year as they are being told they need to clear out with no guarantee of finding another place to stay. The city's mayor, Eric Adams, issued an order in October limiting homeless migrants and their children to 60 days in city housing in an effort to alleviate the overwhelmed shelter system, which has been inundated by asylum-seekers crossing the southern U.S. border. Karina Obando, a 38-year-old mother from Ecuador, is one of those affected by the order. She has been given until January 5 to leave the former hotel where she has been living with her two young children.

The situation is uncertain for Obando and others facing eviction from the emergency shelter. After their eviction, they can reapply for admission to the shelter system, but there is no guarantee of immediate placement. Families may be sent to one of the city's large tent shelters, far from their current location and where their children attend school. Obando expressed her concerns about the uncertainty her family faces, saying, "I told my son, 'Take advantage. Enjoy the hotel because we have a roof right now. Because they're going to send us away and we're going to be sleeping on the train, or on the street.'"

New York is not the only city dealing with an influx of homeless migrants. Several other cities, including Chicago and Massachusetts, have imposed their own limits on shelter stays due to various reasons, such as spiraling costs and a lack of space. In Chicago, a 60-day shelter limit was imposed last month, and evictions are set to begin in early January. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has limited the number of migrant families in emergency shelters to 7,500. Denver initially limited migrant families to 37 days but paused the policy in recognition of the onset of winter. Single adults face a shorter limit of 14 days.

Unlike most other big cities, New York has a longstanding "right to shelter" policy that obligates the city to provide emergency housing to anyone who asks. However, officials have warned migrants that there is no guarantee they will be able to stay in the same hotel or even the same borough. Adult migrants without children already face a shorter limit of 30 days in shelters. Those who are evicted and still seek assistance are directed to the city's "reticketing center," where they can petition for a renewed stay and are offered a free, one-way ticket to anywhere in the world. However, most people decline this option.

The mayor's office in New York has stated that despite the limitations, the city is doing more for migrant families compared to other cities in terms of providing shelters, hotel rooms, meals, and assistance in overcoming bureaucratic hurdles. However, resources are stretched thin, with over 67,200 migrants still in the city's care and new arrivals every week. Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for Mayor Adams, emphasized that the city wants to avoid families sleeping on the streets and that there will be an orderly process for them to request another 60-day stay.

Advocates for immigrants argue that the limitations will uproot vulnerable families during the coldest months of the year and disrupt schooling for children who have just settled into classes. Liza Schwartzwald, a director at the New York Immigrant Coalition, described the situation as cruel, particularly because families with children are being evicted just after the holiday season. While Mayor Adams has stated that migrant children would not be required to change schools, some children may face long commutes if they are placed in shelters far from their current schools.

For migrants like Karina Obando, the limited time given to find housing, settle children into schools, and secure employment is simply not enough. Obando, who arrived in the U.S. three months ago, has struggled to find consistent work due to a lack of childcare for her 3-year-old daughter, as her husband is still detained at the border in Arizona. She stated, "It's not that we Ecuadorians come to take their jobs or that we're lazy. We're good workers. More time, that's all we ask."

The situation is even more urgent for Ana Vasquez, a 22-year-old from Venezuela who is eight months pregnant. She has until January 8 to leave the Row NYC, where she has been staying with her sister and two young nieces for the past four months. Vasquez lamented the lack of an escape plan and the difficulty of the situation, especially with a baby on the way.

The looming evictions and uncertain futures for these migrant families highlight the challenges faced by cities across the U.S. in dealing with an influx of homeless migrants. While some cities have implemented limitations to address the strain on resources and costs, critics argue that these policies are causing further hardships for vulnerable populations. The issue raises questions about the balance between providing humanitarian assistance and managing limited resources effectively.