Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into two hotels in New York City that have been operating as migrant shelters. The Roosevelt Hotel and the Stewart Hotel, both used to house illegal immigrants, are now facing scrutiny over potential violations of immigration law.
The Roosevelt Hotel, which has served as the city’s main migrant intake center since 2023, has processed more than 170,000 migrants. The Stewart Hotel has functioned as a shelter. A third facility, the Hotel Chandler, has also been subpoenaed, though it reportedly serves as a homeless shelter rather than a migrant center.
JUST IN: The DOJ is investigating the New York City hotels which were turned into migrant shelters. Billions of your tax dollars went towards housing criminal illegal aliens in luxury hotels pic.twitter.com/utl8ILdjWb
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 13, 2025
The subpoenas request details on individuals who have stayed at the shelters, including names and birthdates, as well as financial records and contracts related to the city’s migrant housing program. Prosecutors are examining possible violations of federal immigration law and the funding mechanisms behind the shelter deals.
New York City taxpayers have paid billions to house more than 232,000 migrants since 2022. At one point, nearly 70,000 migrants were being housed in the city. That number has since fallen to around 45,000.
One of the key areas of concern is the Roosevelt Hotel deal. Reports indicate New York City committed up to $220 million to use the hotel, which is owned by Pakistan’s government. The deal was reportedly tied to a $1.1 billion International Monetary Fund bailout to prevent Pakistan from defaulting on its debt.
Mayor Eric Adams has not commented on the DOJ investigation but has announced the Roosevelt Hotel will close in the coming months. It is among 53 migrant shelters scheduled to be shut down by June.
The probe follows revelations that FEMA provided $59 million to house illegal immigrants in high-end New York City hotels. This contradicts previous claims from the Biden administration that FEMA was not funding migrant housing.
