NYC's notorious Roosevelt Hotel shelter will close next week as last migrant families relocate
Share and Follow

The Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter will be shutting down on Tuesday, marking its closure three years after it was first established. The shelter quickly gained significance as a representation of the city’s migrant challenges right in the center of Manhattan.

There were fewer than 10 families of asylum seekers still in the former hotel as of Thursday, as the spot spent its final days as a migrant intake center in a very visible and highly trafficked area of midtown packed with tourists and commuters, The Post has learned.

The historic hotel has been the first stop for many of more than 230,000 migrants that have come to the five boroughs since 2022. During the peak of the crisis, the shelter housed as many as 2,900 people on the taxpayers’ dime, according to officials.

Mayor Eric Adams first announced the closure of the notorious shelter back in February, when he stopped just short of proclaiming that the migrant crisis was over.

The Post observed around a dozen or more workers or shelter residents leaving the building this week.

“I imagine that they are cleaning and making repairs now to give the building back to the owner,” said one female asylum seeker from Venezuela, who asked not to use her name.

She hadn’t landed a new place to stay since she left the shelter last week, she said.

“To be honest, the situation is complicated because they are closing most of the shelters. I sleep where the night takes me. Sometimes in the street. My fate is in God’s hands,” she said.

The shelter has been plagued with issues since it opened in May 2023 – with police sources saying the Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua organized moped robbery crews from the hotel.

Several shelter residents were arrested for a $5,300 shoplifting spree and a 12-year-old ringleader of a Central Park robbery crew was accused of taking part in the assault of two NYPD officers back in May.

“Out of 100 men coming from Venezuela, 80 are bad and 20 are good,” one migrant outside the Roosevelt told The Post earlier this week. “The problem is that the good people get screwed and pay the price for the bad people.”

The Post previously reported that the hotel could sell for as much as $1 billion after migrants move out. A source told the Post that the property owner – the Pakistani government’s Pakistan International Airlines – were considering replacing the over 100-year-old hotel with a new skyscraper.

It is unclear whether the hotel will begin welcoming guests again.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Ivanka and Jared lead Trump's top team in Israel

Ivanka and Jared Headline Trump’s Key Delegation in Israel

President Donald Trump’s closest inner circle, including Jared and Ivanka Kushner, are…
Fatal vehicle crash on I-295

Fatal vehicle crash on I-295

Florida Highway Patrol says the crash occurred at 2:49 p.m. JACKSONVILLE, Fla.…
Blue city DA says repeat drug offenders 'will not respect the law' under current system

Blue city DA says repeat drug offenders ‘will not respect the law’ under current system

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Democratic San Francisco District…
Heavy rain in Mexico sets off floods and landslides, killing at least 41

Heavy rain in Mexico sets off floods and landslides, killing at least 41

POZA RICA, Mexico — Some people in the low-lying working class neighborhoods…
Trump’s death penalty push gains traction in statehouses

Trump’s death penalty push gains traction in statehouses

(The Hill) State lawmakers have taken up President Trump’s aggressive push to…
Goldie Hawn pays tribute to Diane Keaton after her death

Goldie Hawn Honors the Late Diane Keaton with Heartfelt Tribute

Elise is bidding farewell to Annie. Goldie Hawn penned an emotional tribute…
Small plane crashes in Fort Worth, reportedly leaving two dead and trucks ablaze

Small plane crashes in Fort Worth, reportedly leaving two dead and trucks ablaze

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A small plane crash…
Fred Warner carted off with gruesome ankle injury in gutting 49ers scene

49ers’ Star Fred Warner Suffers Devastating Ankle Injury: Impact on Season Uncertain

The San Francisco 49ers suffered a significant defensive blow on Sunday when…