New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the closure of the Asylum Seeker Arrival Center housed at The Roosevelt Hotel, signaling an end to one of the city’s foremost responses to the international humanitarian crisis of recent years. The center, which has been a beacon of support for over 237,000 asylum seekers since the spring of 2022, is winding down operations as the city grapples with fewer arrivals and progresses towards integrating services with existing infrastructure. According to a statement from the NYC Mayor’s Office, the city’s efforts led to a substantial decrease in shelter census and the ability to fully integrate migrants into the fabric of society.
Under the leadership of Mayor Adams, New York City successfully expanded its shelter capacity to not just cope but to definitively manage the spike in asylum seekers that reached its apex with weekly arrivals of 4,000 individuals in May 2023. The city’s comprehensive response encompassed a vaccination drive delivering over 200,000 vaccinations, enrollment of 50,000 children in public schools, and the creation of a pioneering Asylum Application Help Center. These measures collectively assisted in fostering a near 84 percent departure rate of asylum seekers moving forward with their lives, an accomplishment Mayor Adams described as “a model for cities across the country.” Nonetheless, amid these successes, the mayor has had to navigate the challenge of doing much of this without significant aid from state or federal governments, as noted by the NYC Mayor’s Office.
The Roosevelt Hotel served as a crucial intake point over the past three years, offering an array of services such as medical care, legal aid, and reconnection services for migrants from over 160 countries. Its closure is part of a broader plan to close 62 migrant shelters in an initiative aimed at consolidating resources and reducing the city’s fiscal burden. The migrant population in the city’s care has witnessed a significant drop from 69,000 in January 2024, to under 37,000 presently. “New York City has always been, and will always be, a city of immigrants,” Mayor Adams said, affirming the city’s enduring commitment to incoming migrants, as per the NYC Mayor’s Office…