New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced the planned closures of both the Asylum Seeker Arrival Center and Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center located at The Roosevelt Hotel, marking a significant milestone in New York City’s nearly three-year asylum seeker humanitarian response.
The site has been instrumental in supporting hundreds of thousands of migrants on their journeys toward achieving self-sufficiency in the United States. Opened in May 2023 — during the height of the international asylum seeker crisis, with the city receiving an average of 4,000 arrivals each week — the facility has functioned as a centralized intake center for newly arriving asylum seekers. The site has provided various supportive services to migrants, including legal assistance, medical care, and reconnection services, as well as served as a humanitarian relief center for families.
Out of the more than 232,000 migrants that have come into the city’s care since the spring of 2022, more than 173,000 registrations were completed at The Roosevelt Hotel between May 2023 and February 2025. In recent months, the average number of registrants has decreased to approximately 350 per week. Going forward, these intake functions and supportive services will be integrated into other areas of the system.
The planned transfer of intake functions from The Roosevelt Hotel to other areas within the system, adds to the planned closure of 53 other emergency shelter sites by June. There are currently fewer than 45,000 migrants in the city’s care, down from a high of 69,000 in January of 2024 and out of the more than 232,000 that have arrived in New York City seeking city services since the spring of 2022.
“While we’re not done caring for those who come into our care, today marks another milestone in demonstrating the immense progress we have achieved in turning the corner on an unprecedented international humanitarian effort,” Adams said in a statement. “Our administration has skillfully managed this crisis, which has seen over 232,000 migrants enter our city asking for shelter, and The Roosevelt Hotel has been key in allowing us to effectively manage our operations, processing over 173,000 individuals through these doors. Now, thanks to the sound policy decisions of our team, we are able to announce the closure of this site and help even more asylum seekers take the next steps in their journeys as they envision an even brighter future, while simultaneously saving taxpayers millions of dollars.”
