Inside the Bronx basement of Imam Omar Niass’ mosque, hundreds of African migrants rest their heads at night.

It’s been used as a temporary shelter since 2020, as they seek asylum for a better life here in the United States. 

“All of them blessings,” Niass said, Imam at the Masjid Ansaru-Deen Mosque. “They started like three people, four people. I don’t like the people living in the street. Let them come,” he said.

What You Need To Know

  • A Bronx Imam has transformed the basement of his mosque into a refuge for hundreds of migrants from Africa seeking asylum in the United States

  • The basement has been used as a temporary shelter since 2020 as migrants seek asylum for a better life here in the United States

  • Since 2020 the Imam says over 900 migrants have passed through this basement, he says there are currently over 100 staying in the basement

  • With so many migrants staying in this basement, the city has stepped in on several occasions to transfer them to temporary shelters

And one-by-one, they keep coming. By word of mouth, it quickly became known that the Imam who’s originally from Senegal, is willing to help. His phone constantly ringing with calls from migrants at correctional facilities at the border. 

“The people come to here needing help, you help them. That’s why we here,” he said.

With so many migrants staying in this basement, the city has stepped in on several occasions to transfer them to temporary shelters.

Most of the migrants staying there hail from Muslim African countries and are currently observing Ramadan. They’ve been fasting throughout the day, but at sunset the fast is broken and that basement becomes a dining hall.

“Thank God I have a small business making a little bit [of] income. I feed them from my pocket,” Niass said.

Aside from the income he makes from a bodega he owns, he said he also receives help from relatives who cook meals, local organizations have donated supplies including the NYPD providing these bags of clothing and shoes.

Since 2020, the Imam says over 900 migrants have passed through this basement. He says there are currently over 100 staying in the basement.

Ahmed Mahnna, 27, has been in New York for about two weeks now. He said he left Egypt because of problems he had with the government and now he awaits his case so he can stay in the U.S.

“I arrived here without home without food, and I came here and I slept and I found food, everything,” he said.

He and others staying there praise the Imam for treating everyone equally and never turning a migrant away.

“As long as I’m still alive, I’m still helping,” Niass said.