New York City (NYC) is ending its $220 million lease agreement with the Pakistan-owned Roosevelt Hotel, which had been serving as a migrant shelter, following intense criticism from MAGA supporters over the use of taxpayer funds to house asylum seekers.
Under mounting pressure from both the federal government and conservative hardliners, Mayor Eric Adams—who has increasingly aligned with Trump-era policies after facing corruption allegations from the Biden administration—announced the facility’s closure.
The historic Roosevelt Hotel in NYC’s Manhattan, repurposed as an emergency shelter, reportedly accommodated tens of thousands of migrants across its 1,025 rooms, costing an estimated $200 per night.
Official Statement
In a statement, the city confirmed it would begin shutting down The Roosevelt Hotel’s Asylum Arrival Center and Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center.
Officials cited a significant decline in migrant arrivals, from a peak of 4,000 per week in 2023 to around 350 currently, as a key factor in the decision.
Mayor Adams credited the administration’s emergency response and policy adjustments for the shift, emphasising that closing the shelter would save millions in taxpayer dollars.
Closure Amid Criticism
The agreement with the Pakistani government, which effectively transformed the historic hotel into a migrant shelter, had drawn sharp criticism from Republican leaders and conservative commentators.
Businessman and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was among the most vocal opponents, calling the deal an example of government waste.
“A taxpayer-funded hotel for illegal migrants is owned by the Pakistani government, which means NYC taxpayers are effectively paying a foreign government to house illegals in our own country. This is nuts,” Ramaswamy wrote on X.
NYC Alters Strategy
According to Fox Business, the Roosevelt Hotel deal had been a point of contention, with critics questioning why U.S. taxpayer money was flowing to Pakistan while New York City faced its own economic and housing struggles.
The hotel’s closure marks a shift in NYC’s approach to handling the migrant crisis.
While city officials maintain their commitment to assisting asylum seekers, they are now seeking more cost-effective, locally managed alternatives to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers.
