Asylum seeker center at NYC hotel to close

NEW YORK (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - The asylum seeker center at New York City's Roosevelt Hotel will close, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday.

A date for its closure has not been announced.

For nearly two years, the hotel has been serving as an intake center for migrants just arriving in the city, offering legal and medical services, along with shelter for families with children.

Adams calls the closure a milestone in the city's asylum seeker crisis.

In a statement, Adams said in part, "Now, thanks to the sound policy decisions of our team, we are able to announce the closure of this site and help even more asylum seekers take the next steps in their journeys as they envision an even brighter future, while simultaneously saving taxpayers millions of dollars."

According to the city, in recent months, the number of migrants registering for services at the Roosevelt has fallen to about 350 per week. The mayor's office says the intake functions and supportive services the center offered will be integrated into other areas of the system.

This is the latest closure announced as part of Adams' plan to shutter 53 migrant shelters by June. The mayor says the number of asylum seekers arriving in New York City has been declining, with fewer than 45,000 migrants currently in the city's care.