Over 40 Arrests at Roosevelt Hotel Since Conversion to Migrant Shelter in May: Mostly Domestic Violence - Report (4 Cartoon)

  The iconic Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, which once stood as a testament to Prohibition-era glamour, has seen a sharp rise in arrests since its transformation into a migrant shelter in May. As reported by The New York Post, at least 41 people have been detained at the establishment.

A significant proportion of these arrests were linked to domestic violence situations, as per information shared by law enforcement on Sunday.

In a recent incident, a 30-year-old migrant was arrested at the hotel on charges of child endangerment. The incident took place around 9 p.m. on Saturday at the 45 E. 45th St. location.

Police sources indicated that the alleged victim was the man’s 11-year-old daughter. However, subsequent decisions made by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have raised eyebrows.

“After thorough investigation and review of the facts, the People declined to prosecute this matter,” a representative from the Manhattan DA’s office remarked. “If a crime cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, it is our ethical duty not to charge it.”

Several other troubling incidents have been noted at the site. In June, an asylum seeker reportedly attacked an employee with a “No Parking” sign following an altercation that led to his removal from the property. The assault left the employee with a notable injury, prompting Mayor Eric Adams to make an impromptu visit to the establishment. 

Challenges with migrant shelters aren’t limited to the Roosevelt. Another recent incident on the Upper West Side saw a 20-year-old migrant woman detained for allegedly assaulting an NYPD officer.

The incident occurred when the officer tried to seize her unregistered motorcycle outside the Stratford Arms Hotel. Notably, the same woman had been previously arrested in July for another assault.

The situation at the Roosevelt had garnered attention earlier this summer when a disturbing video emerged, showing several migrants sleeping on cardboard on the surrounding sidewalks, highlighting the surge of asylum seekers in the city.

Local businesses have expressed their concerns regarding the situation. “These migrants here, they are disturbing us a lot,” shared George Boahene, a store manager nearby. “They are always hanging around scratching the windows and making the windows dirty. … It’s not good for the business.”

While many locals have been perturbed by these events, a security guard at the Roosevelt Hotel offered a different perspective. Noting that many of the migrants are hardworking individuals employed by companies like Uber Eats, the guard highlighted parking as a prominent issue in the vicinity.

At the end of the day, not only are the illegal immigrants living free in a lovely hotel with scooters and endless freebies, law enforcement which is already stretched thin thanks to “defund the police” is being diverted from responding elsewhere to deal with 41 arrests from one clearly problematic location.