Roosevelt Hotel: Manhattan’s ‘Little Ellis Island’ Closes Its Doors

During the final operating day of the renowned Roosevelt Hotel, the establishment was abuzz with activity. Not out of anxiety but owing to the hot spell of early July. This eminent establishment, once a beacon of Manhattan’s glitzy lifestyle and later a refuge for migrants, had no central air-conditioning system.

New York’s mayor declared in February that the establishment, which had served as a sanctuary and processing centre for incoming migrants since May 2023, would be closing down in the summer. Consequently, its population began thinning throughout June as the inhabitants of its thousand rooms gradually dissipated.

Simultaneously, families were seen departing through the lone exit that wasn’t rigged with an emergency alarm, handling an assortment of suitcases, cartons and prams. On the scorching day of June 24, a woman from South America arrived, managing a stroller with a toddler following her in the hundred-degree heat. Her purpose was to apply for sanctuary, she expressed in Spanish.

But, ‘Not here’, was the response from the security guard, who provided her with a notice which stated closure of the facility and redirected her, confused, to a separate building located in downtown. The events that unfolded at the Roosevelt Hotel are subject to whose perspective you choose to accept.

From the standpoint of the immigrants who briefly called it home, it was fondly referred to as their ‘Little Ellis Island’. To put it in perspective, an astounding total of 155,000 individuals representing 160 nations passed through its doors in the span of two years; this is the majority of the approximately 237,000 migrants who arrived in the city amid what became known as the migrant crisis.

This influx of asylum-seekers began in the year 2022, with countless individuals seeking refuge in the United States from their home countries that were either already failed states or on the verge of becoming so. In August 2022, the initial buses carrying the refugees arrived in New York.

Over the next ten months, these numbers saw a steady uptick, escalating from one daily service to two, eventually increasing to 13 buses per day. The hotel staff began to colloquially refer to them as the ‘Ghost buses’. Without any forewarning, these buses would arrive in the middle of the night, depositing the migrants at the city’s Port Authority terminal, necessitating the Roosevelt Hotel to operate around the clock.

Moreover, the hotel staff was in a mad rush to accommodate the incoming asylum-seekers. As the situation evolved, another group spotted an opportunity: property developers. A week after the closure of the Roosevelt refuge in July, a report from Arab News divulged that Pakistan anticipated a valuation of at least $1 billion for the site of the Roosevelt Hotel.

This site is now projected to be one of Pakistan’s most expensive foreign assets. With the complete eviction of the migrants, the country is enthusiastic about securing a joint partnership agreement. Such an agreement is poised to stimulate the construction of high-end professional workspace alongside other potential development.

‘It was just like our own Ellis Island. The events that transpired here are unparalleled and will likely never be repeated’, a security guard reflected when asked about his experiences at the hotel in the final days of June.