Dozens of illegal immigrants have been sleeping on the floor of the bar at New York Cityâs Roosevelt hotel turned shelter.
According to the New York Post, this comes just after the first wave of âasylum seekersâ was evicted due to the cityâs 60-day stay-limit rule.
The eviction notice affected the first 13,000 single-adult illegal immigrants to be housed in the former hotel.
Those affected can return to the main intake center at the site and reapply for housing.
Due to the cityâs âRight to Shelterâ law, they must be given housing, but the new stay-limit rule has recently been reduced by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Newly instated illegal immigrants will only be granted free taxpayer-funded housing for 30 days.
Martin Cordero, a single 30-year-old male illegal immigrant from Venezuela, came to the United States without a plan.Â
He said, âI donât know what the next step from here is.â
âThey asked me if I had anyone that can pick me upâ, but I donât know anyone hereâ,â he added. âThey told me this is just temporary.â
Another single adult male illegal immigrant from Venezuela named Daniel noted that he slept in a chair in the Roosevelt hotel bar.Â
âThey were supposedly going to move us to another place, but we donât really know how long we will be staying here,â he said. âWe have to wait for space if we donât have anyone to contact to come get us. They have not said how long that will be.â
City Hall representative Amaris Cockfield explained why people are sleeping at the hotel bar.
She said, âAfter a long and arduous journey, often on cramped buses, people at the arrival center are made comfortable and able to safely doze off, while waiting a few hours for placement.â
She also claimed, âWe have no overnight stays in the lobby.â
But one shelter worker who wished to remain anonymous noted the men sleeping in the bar remain for different periods of time.Â
âIt depends on their situation â they could be there for hours â but most times they could be there for days,â she said.