The historic Roosevelt Hotel opened its doors to 20 busloads of migrants as an “asylum seeker arrival center” on Friday as New York City continues to grapple with an influx of migrants from the southern border.
An MTA bus loaded with men, women and children pulled up at the iconic building at 45 E. 45th St. shortly before 7 a.m. The new arrivals clutched brown envelopes and walked in single file.
Photos from inside the building showed the luxury interior covered in signs indicating areas for check-in and registration, as well as chairs with forms about emergency medical services.
The hotel, which first opened its doors in 1924, has been the backdrop for a string of Hollywood films — including “Maid in Manhattan,” “Malcolm X,” “Wall Street,” “The French Connection,” “The Irishman” and “Man on a Ledge.”
On Friday, guards from Mulligan Security were posted outside the building.
Most of the crowd looked happy, flashing peace signs and thumbs-up as they were ushered inside.
One man, however, pulled his hoodie down to cover his face. There was a brief, non-violent conflict as hotel employees asked photographers to move out of the way.
Around 8:30 a.m., the MTA bus took single men and some women away. There were also two other buses parked on Madison Avenue and East 45th, ready to take the processed migrants away from the site.
One volunteer told The Post that hotels are coveted spots usually given to families and single women with children. Others – mostly single men – have resorted to sleeping in the subways because other shelters are unsafe.
When she tried to get inside the Roosevelt on Friday, the volunteer said she was turned away and urged not to speak to the media.
Some of the new arrivals are said to have come from Pennsylvania, where a bus loaded with migrants from Texas arrived at 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
Volunteers are no longer being used in Pennsylvania, so buses are greeted by state police, military personnel and city workers before being forwarded to the Roosevelt.
Those who show up at the storied hotel near Grand Central Station are seeking services and advice that would typically be provided by Pennsylvania.
One teenage girl, Ariannis Ramirez Colina, told The Post that she and her mother were initially bused to Pennsylvania after traveling from Venezuela.
Ariannis’ uncle, Anthony Colina, is staying at another location but came to see his niece at the Roosevelt on Friday. The pair were happy to be reunited, and hugged.
“I’m happy to get back together with my uncle,” Ariannis said.
“I feel good. I don’t know how to explain it. Everything was very hard. Thank God we are all here and nothing happened.”
Dino Redzic, co-owner of Uncle Paul’s Pizza around the corner from the hotel, said that his shop will be feeding the migrants that arrive on Friday – which also happens to be National Pizza Party Day.
Redzic is Albanian, and is originally from what is now known as Montenegro.
He told The Post that he crossed the border illegally from Mexico 30 years ago due to the civil war in Bosnia.
“Thirty years ago this was me in their shoes,” Redzic, who is now an American citizen, explained.
“I guess at some point everyone was an immigrant. I think it’s very emotional and it’s a very nice thing that is done. I hope that the people don’t find it in a negative way.”
Redzic noted that he also proudly helped feed first responders during COVID and Hurricane Sandy, and is involved in a lot of local charity work.
He said he heard there would be 350 migrants at the Roosevelt, though he did not know if they all arrived Friday or over the course of several days.
“We do need [the migrants]…I’d offer them employment and a temporary place to stay. Their money would stay in this country. They’d pay taxes just like the rest of us,” he posited.
“The only way I could secure a future for me and my family was getting into this country illegally,” he added of his own experience with immigration.
“Today we feel that welcoming the immigrants this way with a slice of warm pizza will be a great thing….hopefully we will continue as long as there is a need.”
Redsiz said new arrivals can hope to find cheese slices, as well as dozens of specialty options.
“We serve close to 1,600 people a day so this is just a drop,” he said proudly.
Another local business owner said they were supportive of the effort to process migrants at the hotel, but wondered if the operation was being executed too quickly.
“I’m fully supportive of the people seeking asylum. I do feel that the operation at the Roosevelt was rushed. Nobody knew what was going on. We found out the same time as everybody else did – through the press,” he explained.
“Two weeks ago [the hotel] was practically abandoned and not really an operational site…They are moving families in the building so it’s a little bit chaotic.”
He was unsure how the move would impact his business.
“That’s yet to be seen. It’s wait and see and so far so good. Business has been fine. They just barely opened. I think everybody has good intentions. We’ll see what happens, basically,” he said.
Some locals, however, are less than enthusiastic that the hotel — which was once a coveted hangout for well-heeled New Yorkers before shutting its doors during the COVID pandemic – is now a haven for migrants.
One man walking past the building on Friday morning mumbled “f–ing disgusting,” but declined to comment further.
A 69-year-old Army veteran and retired law enforcement officer also expressed misgivings about the plan.
“When they come they are giving them a hero’s welcome but give it a month and it all dries up. It’s all gonna wear out,” the man, who said he was born in the US but has Puerto Rican ancestry, lamented.
“Our taxpayers’ money could be used for building better schools, providing more books…and there is gonna be a major problem with housing. They say there is a lack of affordable housing. So where are [the migrants] going to stay? There’ll be 100,000 of them showing up here,” he continued.
“They should stay in Chile, Mexico…why are they not taking them? They have the same food, speak the same language, they have the same climate, they are near their own countries so why are they coming here? Because of the free stuff. They should close the border.”
Last week, City Hall announced that only 175 of the Roosevelt’s 1,000 guest rooms are opening Friday. This number will eventually be scaled to 850 rooms at maximum capacity.
An additional 100 to 150 rooms will be held for migrants in transition to other locations.
The disgruntled veteran slammed what he viewed as Mayor Adams’ oscillating approach to the migrant crisis.
“The Mayor is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. This is a sanctuary city. They are welcome here, right? Now he is crying that the city can’t afford them, it’s too expensive,” he scoffed.
“Instead of directing tax payers’ to African American communities [in the city], now it’s going to fund them. I think it’s a disservice.
“Look at this hotel? This was a money-maker for tourism. They could have restored it for the tourists because summer is coming just like how they restored it for them. The city needs the money.”
