NYC youth football coach sounds alarm on migrant crisis denying kids access to fields

A New York City high school soccer game was reportedly cancelled due to migrants taking up field space at a local park.

Youth football coach George Lanese joined "Fox & Friends," Monday, to react to how the crisis of illegal immigration has been directly impacting his and other youth teams in the city.

Lanese said he encountered the same issue when a group of migrants were playing a pickup soccer game on the field where he had a permit for his team to practice. After a 15-minute argument, Lanese said the soccer players eventually left the field.

"A lot of people don't have the perspective of what it's like in New York City," said Lanese, co-founder of Outreach U NYC.

"It's hard to get a field in New York City," said Lanese, explaining that a permit is needed, unlike in suburban areas where field space is more abundant.

According to the New York Post, approximately 40 boys from two high school teams showed up on April 14th at Manhattan's Thomas Jefferson Park for a game. However, a group of what appeared to be African migrants refused to leave the field.

When police showed up and requested the permit to play, the game had already been delayed 30 minutes and the teams felt unsafe. Parents felt uncomfortable following the incident and no longer want to play at the field.

Lanese recalled that New York City was the last to bring back sports following the pandemic and now "people other than kids are being put first."

"The problem we're seeing right now is that they're implementing policies without considering the impact it has on the community and the kids in that community."