In the last year and a half, New York City has scrambled to try and provide shelter and services to over 150,000 migrants. We take a look at how that’s going. Prologue: In the middle of the night, host Ira Glass meets a woman on a mission at Port Authority bus station. (13 minutes) No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn: Producer Valerie Kipnis follows a group of people who’ve just arrived at their new home, a tent shelter in the middle of nowhere. (11 minutes) Reporting help from Jika Gonzalez. 150 Days of Bummer: Producer Diane Wu talks to an asylum seeker trying to hustle his way through bureaucratic limbo. (11 minutes) Lullaby of Broadway: Host Ira Glass meets some of the city’s newest arrivals in every New Yorker’s least favorite place. (9 minutes) The New Kids: Three girls, whose families traveled thousands of miles to get to New York, navigate their latest challenge: American middle school. (11 minutes) Harlem Shuffle (podcast only): One woman needs to find shelter for 27 young men in a matter of hours. (15 minutes)
A quick warning.
There are curse words that are unbeeped in today's episode of the show.
If you prefer a beeped version, you can find that at our website, thisamericanlife.org New York City, the Port Authority bus Terminal.
A very cold night a few weeks ago.
Yeah.
Explain what time it is, where we are, what we're doing.
It is 11:14pm and we are waiting for a Texas bus.
Texas bus with who in his side?
So we don't know the number yet, but we have asylum seekers that are there that just come from the border.
This is one of the buses that Governor Greg Abbott sent to New York City starting in the summer of last year.
You've probably heard about this.
Hoping to make a point about what Texas is dealing with, he sent migrants on buses to cities run by Democrats.
Washington, D.C.
los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and New York.
Over 27,000 people have arrived at this spot.
This way.
Where many of them have been greeted by a 5 foot 2 black woman named Adama Baugh.
How many nights a week do you do this?
I don't keep counting anymore.
But what's the most it gets like?