New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said the city will close the Asylum Seeker Arrival Center and Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center located at The Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan as the number of asylum seekers have dropped in the last several months.
Opened in May 2023, the facility functioned as a centralized intake center for newly arriving asylum seekers. The site provided legal assistance, medical care and reconnection services, and also served as a humanitarian relief center for families with children.
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, according to a press release. In recent months, the average number of registrants has decreased to approximately 350 per week. Going forward, these intake functions and supportive services will now be integrated into other areas of the system, the mayor said.
“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,” said Adams.
There are currently fewer than 45,000 asylum seekers n 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. The administration is on schedule to close 53 other shelters in the coming months.
“There are so many moments that I can point to where we have made significant strides in positively and effectively impacting the lives of the thousands of migrants who made their way to New York City, but the activation of The Roosevelt Arrival Center was true game changer,” said Molly Schaeffer, the executive director of Asylum Seeker Operations.
