Protestors clash outside New York City mayoral mansion over migrant crisis, Curtis Sliwa arrested

Protesters clashed outside of the New York City mayoral mansion over the migrant crisis, leading to several arrests, including that of Guardian Angels founder and former Republican candidate for NYC mayor Curtis Sliwa. 

Some of the more than 100 protesters on both sides of the migrant issue screamed and threw punches Sunday outside the Gracie Mansion in the Upper East Side, the New York Post reported.

The standoff comes after about 100,000 migrants flooded the five boroughs, forcing the city to open 200 emergency shelters.

"No migrants on Long Island!" a Trump supporter shouted at the rally in front of Democratic Mayor Eric Adams' home. "We pay a lot of property taxes!"

Nearly two dozen counter-protesters yelled back at the conservative demonstrators with phrases such as "F*** white supremacist NYPD!" as about 50 New York Police Department officers watched. 

Sliwa, who was one of several people arrested Sunday, has said he wants to show Adams "what Gandhi used to do" by getting arrested for a "peaceful protest."

"These migrants have jumped the queue," Sliwa said at the rally. "And by the way, if I were a migrant and you gave me an opportunity to jump the queue and stay in a hotel, give me three square meals … — basically give me more than homeless people born in America have or veterans who are down on their luck have — you’re damn right they’re gonna keep coming."

Sunday marked the third time in less than two weeks that Sliwa has been arrested for protesting migrants. 

Last week, he was arrested while protesting outside a Staten Island migrant shelter and earlier this month he was arrested while protesting outside the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens.

"I’ve been arrested so many times," Sliwa also said Sunday. "Civil disobedience — this will be my 80th."

New York leaders, such as Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, have asked the White House to help address the migrant surge to no avail. Meanwhile, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said she plans to propose a bill that would prevent the government from placing migrants in National Parks facilities after the federal government approved a plan to do so.

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