For weeks, St. John Villa Academy on Landis Road in Staten Island has been the site of near daily protests by neighbors who don’t want asylum seekers, and migrants living there.

“Jesus said, ‘Welcome the stranger,’” said Rev. Chloe Breyer from Interfaith Center of New York.

What You Need To Know

  • About a dozen Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders gathered outside of the St. John Villa Academy with immigrant advocates on Thursday to share a welcoming message of compassion for migrants being housed at the former Catholic school

  • The group said their faith compels them to help the 300 single-adult women and families being housed at St. John Villa Academy, which the city owns

  • Protestors, who are opposed to the migrants being housed at the St. John Villa Academy protested simultaneously as the interfaith demonstration

But on Thursday, about a dozen Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders gathered outside of the former Catholic school with immigrant advocates to share a different message. The group said their faith compels them to help the 300 single adult women and families being housed at St. John Villa Academy, which the city owns.

“Because we serve Jesus Christ, who was also, if we would talk about in today’s terms, would also be an immigrant,” said Antoinette Dogan, associate minister at First Central Baptist Church. “His mother and father had to take him out of one country into another because of persecution.”

For weeks, neighbors on Landis Road have demonstrated against the retrofitted migrant shelter because they don’t want migrants living there.

“We are not suggesting that people who are anti-immigration are bad,” said Rev. Dr. Demetrius Carolina, pastor of First Central Baptist Church. “We are suggesting that there needs to be a light shined in the minds of people - our brothers and sisters on both sides.”

But at times, protestors, some of whom have rallied frequently — drowned out the faith leaders.

Immigrant advocates point out that applying for asylum is a legal process. But many demonstrators say they worry about their children’s safety, despite the near constant police presence outside the shelter.

Two weeks ago a judge ruled the City can shelter migrants at the site - a ruling against Staten Island elected leaders who filed suit trying to block the city’s plans.

Staten Island Interfaith and community leaders said they have been helping migrants for the past nine months and plan to continue doing so.

“Our voices must be louder and stronger and stand for what America is,” said Rabbi Judah Neuberger of B’nai Israel.

They also said they need more help from elected officials.

“Access to work permits,” said Rev. Chloe Breyer of the Interfaith Center of New York. “Because everybody wants to work. Another thing is legal assistance because everybody needs legal assistance in some way. The third is proper resourcing for education.”

The city recently confirmed that only 2% of the more than 60,000 migrants and asylum seekers currently in the city’s care are being sheltered on Staten Island.

The majority of migrants are in Manhattan and Queens.