Trump’s immigration goals are being hit very quickly. This is one of the top reasons why he was elected.
And President Trump secures a massive immigration win in this deep-blue city.
New York City Shuts Down Final Hotel Migrant Shelter
New York City is closing the last of its hotel migrant shelters, marking a turning point in its approach to the migrant crisis. The Row Hotel, located just a stone’s throw from Times Square, will cease operating as a shelter by April of next year. As the first hotel to convert to this purpose in 2022, its 1,300 upscale units have been home to migrants at a monthly cost of $5.13 million to the city.
On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams declared the city would not extend its contract with Rockpoint Group, the hotel’s owner. Speaking to the Washington Examiner, Adams called the closure a “major milestone in our administration’s recovery from this international humanitarian crisis.”
He recalled the intense period three years ago when “thousands of migrants and asylum seekers began streaming into our city every week — and the Adams administration stepped up.”
To address the influx, the city opened hundreds of emergency shelters to ensure families had a place to stay. “We have successfully helped more than 200,000 migrants leave our shelter system and take the next step toward self-sufficiency,” Adams said.
At the height of it’s crisis, the city managed 220 shelters, with 80% of the 193 shelters in 2024 being repurposed hotels. “We have skillfully and humanely managed a national humanitarian crisis — and have done what no other city could do,” he said.
The Row, however, has been a lightning rod for controversy, with frequent reports of crime and disorder. Residents have cited incidents involving the Tren de Aragua gang, including attacks on NYPD officers.
Local frustration has boiled over, with one resident of a nearby apartment complex exclaiming, “Hallelujah. I’m happy that it’s happening.”
They added, “We pay a lot of money to live here, and it doesn’t seem fair,” pointing to issues like litter, food waste, and water bottles strewn about.
“There are people sitting here all day… women sitting around here smoking weed all day, the children are just playing on the street, on the bike lanes,” they said. A security guard shared his own experience, noting he began wearing a wedding ring to fend off advances from migrant prostitutes at the hotel.
The closure comes amid a sharp decline in illegal border crossings, down over 99%, largely due to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. CNN forecasts that 2025 could see negative net migration in the U.S., a first in 50 years.
The 3,400 people currently staying at the Row will be relocated to the city’s standard shelter system, per the New York Times.
The mayor’s office also reported that the city has “purchased more than 65,000 tickets to help migrants exit the shelter system and reach their preferred destinations.”
Of the migrants in New York, over 90% of those eligible—around 110,000—have had their asylum applications processed.
At $3,950 per unit, the cost of housing migrants at the Row slightly exceeds the average monthly rate for a room in the city.
As New York phases out hotel shelters, the move signals a return to normalcy for neighborhoods like Times Square, where residents hope for quieter, cleaner streets.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
