New York City's largest migrant intake center, located in the once-grand Roosevelt Hotel, is officially shutting down. This was confirmed as crews were spotted packing up on the site's final full operating Monday. According to a CBS News report, the facility has seen more than 150,000 asylum seekers from 160 countries and has become a symbolic hub for the city's response to the migrant crisis since it began housing migrants in May 2023.
The closure marks a significant shift in the city's handling of incoming migrants. As city officials look to fully to integrate and distribute services across other facilities, the landmark hotel – which has helped close to three-quarters of the over 232,000 migrants that have come through the city since the crisis began – is leaving a gap in its wake. In a statement obtained by ABC7 New York, it was revealed that approximately 75% of the city's migrants were processed through this center. At its peak, the city was receiving 4,000 new arrivals each week but now averages only a couple hundred.
Molly Schaeffer, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations, recalled in an interview with CBS News, a time when "we just couldn't open sites fast enough", vividly depicting the crisis at a time when some migrants were left sleeping on streets due to capacity issues. While the hotel is closing, the need for support has not diminished, with city officials and advocates emphasizing the ongoing shelter capacity crisis that New York City faces.
Mayor Eric Adams previously announced a plan, back in February, to close 53 shelter locations by June of this year as part of an overall strategy to streamline and improve the city's response to the crisis. The Roosevelt alone housed and assisted 155,000 asylum seekers during its tenure as a shelter, contributing to the $7 billion the city has spent since 2022 on migrant services. This approach has helped 80% of those who entered through the hotel to secure housing and work authorization, according to a statement obtained by CBS News.
Following the closure, migrants will be directed to traditional Department of Homeless Services shelters, resuming protocols that were in place before the surge in arrivals
