The worsening illegal migrant crisis in New York City is leading to a political shift among a historic Democrat constituency, according to a Monday report in The Wall Street Journal.

The predominantly Democrat-leaning community is experiencing a shift towards supporting Republican candidates in local elections due to concerns about the city’s migrant influx, which has seen approximately 100,000 migrants arriving since the spring of 2022, as reported by the WSJ.

Residents from a predominantly Chinese community in the city recently expressed their disapproval of a new migrant shelter scheduled to open in Sunset Park in August, primarily because it would limit their access to the recreation center at the site, the outlet noted further.

“Look at us now. Where are we supposed to go?” Yon Chen, a Chinese immigrant who has lived in Brooklyn for more than 30 years, said in Mandarin Chinese, the WSJ noted, adding that he will be voting for Republicans moving forward.

“It’s the number one thing that is front and center for voters as we’re heading to poll sites,” Yiatin Chu, president of the Asian Wave Alliance, a nonpartisan group in New York City said, the outlet reported.

“It appears that the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers of every stripe think that the recent influx is a serious problem that the state needs to address,” Siena poll spokesman Steve Greenberg, describing a recent poll that showed New Yorkers are becoming increasingly concerned over the city’s migrant influx, told the WSJ.

Ying Tan, a Republican running for the NY City Council in the predominantly Asian district and a first-generation immigrant herself, argued for the closure of the border as a solution to the issue, as reported by the WSJ. Conversely, Susan Zhuang, the Democratic candidate vying for the seat, opposes the utilization of the park for housing migrants, viewing it as an attempt to compensate for shortcomings at the federal level.

The outlet reported that Zhuang has launched a petition to have the shelter moved out of the park and as of this writing, it has more than 500 signatures.

Fanny Chen, a 45-year-old Chinese immigrant who has lived in Brooklyn for over a decade, noted that the recreation center serves as the community’s primary social hub, and it’s where her dance group meets, as per the WSJ.

Despite not being registered to vote previously, Chen is now considering voting Republican in the upcoming council race.