Illegal immigrants have overtaken the outskirts of Randall's Island shelter, setting up a violent camp fueled by the sale of drugs, cigarettes, and food, according to the New York Post.
The once idyllic park has become overrun, with the tiny city punctuated by trash, blankets, and dirty clothing.
Fifty tents line the East River on Randall's Island accompanied by "filthy and overflowing" portable toilets that "don't appear to have been serviced for at least a week," the Post reported.
Some "residents" have spent their time hacking into the city's utility poles, stealing electricity to cook while water fountains have doubled as baths.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said, in response to a sweep of the area to dismantle the camp, that the force was there "to fight crime" regardless of immigration status.
"... Whoever you may be, wherever you hang out, wherever you live," he said.
Last month, one person was killed and another two injured as part of a melee at the camp. Earlier this year, a man was stabbed and killed by a group of men living at the shelter.