NYC ends $220M migrant deal with Pakistan, shuts down Roosevelt Hotel center

New York City Mayor Eric Adams

New York City 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 conservatives over the use of American taxpayer money to house asylum seekers.

Facing pressure from both the federal government and right-wing hardliners, Mayor Eric Adams announced the closure of the facility. The historic Manhattan hotel, which was converted into an emergency shelter, reportedly housed tens of thousands of migrants across its 1,025 rooms at an estimated cost of $200 per night.

The city saw a sharp decline in weekly migrant arrivals, dropping from 4,000 at the peak of the crisis in 2023 to approximately 350 now.

Today, we announced we will begin the process of closing down The Roosevelt Hotels Asylum Arrival Center and Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center.Heres what to know: pic.twitter.com/l1NKtCNElC
Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) February 24, 2025

The Roosevelt Hotel, owned by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and leased to NYC for three years in a $220 million deal, served as a key processing center, handling around 75% of the migrants who arrived in the city. Mayor Eric Adams credited the closure to the administration’s successful emergency response and policy decisions, stating that it will help the city save millions of taxpayer dollars.

The deal with the Pakistani government, which effectively turned the historic Manhattan hotel into a migrant shelter, had drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, including Republican leaders and conservative commentators. Businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was among the most vocal critics, slamming the arrangement as an example of wasteful spending.

"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.

As reported by Fox Business, the Roosevelt Hotel arrangement had long been a point of contention, with many questioning why U.S. taxpayer money was being funneled to Pakistan while New York City faced its own financial and housing crises.

The closure of the Roosevelt Hotel as a migrant center marks a shift in NYC’s approach to handling the migrant influx. While city officials maintain they will continue assisting asylum seekers, they are now seeking more cost-effective and locally managed solutions to avoid further taxpayer burdens.