New York City planning to close migrant accommodation at Row Hotel, formerly housing refugees seeking asylum
In the heart of the city that never sleeps, the Row NYC, a 1,300-room hotel, once provided temporary housing for migrants. However, its days as a shelter are coming to an end. The Adams administration has announced the closure of the hotel, marking the end of New York City's last hotel dedicated to housing homeless migrants.
The Row NYC was converted into temporary housing for migrants in 2022, when the city's shelter system became overburdened with a surge of asylum seekers. The hotel was also contracted by the city to be used as a homeless shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The closure of The Row NYC adds to a list of 65 city-run emergency migrant sites that have closed down since last June. This includes the city's tent-based facilities. The trend of decreasing asylum seekers has continued this year, with the number of asylum seekers entering the city beginning to decrease before the 2024 presidential election.
President Donald Trump's aggressive anti-immigration agenda has been cited as a contributing factor to the decreasing number of asylum seekers. During the Biden administration, Mayor Eric Adams frequently blamed the White House for the rising number of asylum seekers in New York City.
However, the federal corruption charges against Mayor Adams, which were reportedly in retaliation to his criticism of President Biden, have since been dropped at the request of the Trump administration.
Mayor Adams, in his statement, acknowledged the administration's efforts, stating that they opened hundreds of emergency migrant shelters to ensure no family slept on the street. More than 200,000 migrants have been helped by the Adams administration to leave the shelter system and take the next step toward self-sufficiency.
As for the future of the Row NYC, city officials are unsure if the hotel will convert back to a hotel or shutter entirely. Representatives from the Row did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Despite the closure, the city's 'right to shelter' law requires officials to provide temporary housing to anyone in need. However, the Adams administration sued over the law arguing it should not apply to migrants.
The Roosevelt Hotel near Grand Central Terminal, another migrant intake center, has also closed down. As the city moves forward, it remains to be seen how it will address the needs of its migrant population.
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