New Yorkers are fuming as they shoulder a hefty financial burden, with over $1 billion funneled into turning former luxury hotels into accommodations for illegal aliens. According to the New York Post, the city has already allocated a jaw-dropping $1.98 billion of taxpayer money towards housing these migrants in hotels across all five boroughs. This staggering sum is part of a colossal $4.88 billion spent on services for illegal aliens. Locals are left wondering why their hard-earned tax dollars are being splurged on such extravagance while their needs are overlooked.
Currently, there are 193 shelters dedicated to housing illegal aliens in the city, with 153 of these facilities being hotels, motels, or inns, according to internal documents from the Office of Management and Budget.
Critics attribute this high cost directly to President Joe Biden’s open border policies; House Republicans accuse the Biden administration of exploiting a parole system that effectively allows illegal aliens to remain in the U.S. for extended periods, exacerbating the situation.
The large number of undocumented immigrants entering New York City has put a significant burden on the city’s resources. On average, households in the city are spending $352 every day to accommodate undocumented immigrants. Some hotel contracts are even more lucrative, with monthly agreements worth millions of dollars. For example, the city signed a $5.13 million monthly contract with the Row NYC Hotel, which stopped regular operations to house only undocumented immigrants. The Crowne Plaza JFK also secured a $2 million per month contract to provide 335 hotel rooms for this purpose.
The repercussions are glaringly obvious: hotel rooms that were once meant for paying customers, who would frequent and financially support nearby businesses like restaurants and bars, are now occupied by migrants funded by taxpayers. This shift has left local business owners scrambling. William Shandler, the manager of Iron Bar located next to the Row Hotel, expressed his frustration and concern. “Our taxes are being used to pay for the migrants, and where are we supposed to make revenue?” he sarcastically questioned how his business is supposed to survive without the revenue from these lost patrons.
Former Row employee Carlos Arellano described the hotel as descending into chaos, characterized by rampant drug use, sexual activity, and violence. According to online real estate company CoStar, over 16,000 hotel rooms have been withdrawn from the market, dealing a severe blow to the local economy.
Councilwoman Joann Ariola, representing Queens, underscored these detrimental effects, lamenting, “These establishments were intended to bolster the city’s economy, but instead, they have become a significant drain and are costing us dearly.”
