New York, February 25, 2025: New York City has announced the termination of its $220 million lease agreement with the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)-owned Roosevelt Hotel, which had been serving as a migrant shelter. The decision follows mounting criticism, particularly from supporters of former President Donald Trump, over the use of taxpayer funds to house asylum seekers.
The historic Roosevelt Hotel, located in Manhattan’s prime midtown district, was closed in 2020 due to financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the city signed a lease to convert it into a shelter as part of efforts to manage the massive influx of migrants arriving in New York.
However, under increasing pressure from federal authorities and right-wing political circles, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday that the facility would be shut down “in the coming months.”
The closure of the Roosevelt Hotel is part of a broader effort to scale back migrant housing in New York City. The administration has already closed or announced the shutdown of 53 other shelters, including a large tent facility on Randall’s Island, set to shut down by the end of the month.
Mayor Adams defended the decision, claiming it was part of a successful emergency response and cost-saving strategy:
“While we are not done caring for those who came into our care, today marks another milestone in demonstrating the immense progress we have achieved in turning the corner on the unprecedented international humanitarian effort,” Adams said in a video statement.
The Roosevelt Hotel, which housed tens of thousands of migrants across its 1,025 rooms, was a key processing center, handling about 75% of asylum seekers arriving in New York. At the peak of the crisis, long lines of migrants were seen waiting outside the facility for days. The hotel reportedly accommodated over 173,000 migrants since it was converted into a shelter in 2023, at an estimated cost of $200 per room per night.
The number of migrants arriving in New York has dropped sharply, from a peak of 4,000 per week to just 350 per week. The decline is linked to shifts in U.S. immigration policy under both the Biden and Trump administrations.
In July 2024, the Biden administration tightened U.S. border controls, leading to a dip in arrivals below 1,000 per week. The numbers have continued to decline since Trump took office last month. His administration has ended access to CBP One, a scheduling app widely used by asylum seekers and Increased border enforcement to deter undocumented migration.
Mayor Adams has aligned with Trump’s stricter immigration stance, warning migrants against coming to New York.
New York City has cared for more than 232,000 migrants since 2022, with 45,000 still under its care—down from 69,000 in January 2024. The administration projects that reducing the city’s role in migrant assistance will save over $5 billion over the next three fiscal years.
The Roosevelt Hotel, once a symbol of New York’s migrant crisis response, will now be returned to PIA’s control, though the airline has yet to announce its future plans for the property.
