A major New York City hotel was converted to a migrant shelter recently as the city struggles with the influx of almost 200,000 illegal immigrants over the last two years. The move came as New York has already introduced several significant budget cuts due to the migrant flow and is considering tax increases.
The Square Hotel in Manhattan has been turned into a migrant shelter over more than the last year. The hotel near Broadway is close to a significant tourist area.
The hotel announced on social media that it would be “closed for the foreseeable future.”
The hotel said that it would be making a major change that would be announced at a later date. Photos at the entrance of the hotel show a National Guard soldier near the lobby.
The news came as more than 100 hotels in the city have been converted to emergency migrant shelters. This has also caused issues related to tourist traffic and the ability to get a hotel.
Overall, the city has $1.3 billion in contracts with hotels to house the migrants.
There has been significant recent pushback against the flow of migrants and the city government’s reaction to it. In particular, parents expressed disdain for a recent decision by the city to close down a school to house migrants during cold weather.
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The shift also came after a series of high-profile incidents involving migrants, including a videotaped brawl last week.
Earlier this year there were several significant events in the city. Three occurred at Times Square, including the beating of two NYPD officers by migrant youths. The popular tourist hotspot was also the site of a shooting by a migrant minor and another significant brawl between migrants.
There has also been significant concern regarding an increase in crime in the city tied to the migrants, including concerns about the rise of illegal gangs in New York.
New York implemented two significant rounds of budget cuts over the last two years as the projected cost of the migrants and their care is about $7 billion over the next several years.
