Department of Justice opens criminal investigation into New York City migrant shelters, reports say

Several hotels in New York City that have been used as foreign migrant shelters are under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice over the management and funding of places that have helped house some of the influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants in recent years, according to published reports.

At least three hotels are under investigation, according to various reports, including the Hotel Chandler, The Roosevelt Hotel and Row NYC.

Mayor Eric Adams, speaking Thursday evening on WNBC/4, said he knows nothing about the subpoenaing.

"It was not issued to us," he said. 

The Roosevelt and Row NYC hotels have operated as migrant shelters, but Hotel Chandler is an ordinary homeless shelter. 

Quoting a copy of one of the subpoenas received by the Hotel Chandler seeking "a list of full names of aliens currently residing at Hotel Chandler," The New York Times said that prosecutors also asked for dates of birth, nationality and identification numbers. That subpoena invoked "an alleged violation" of federal immigration law and demanded information about those who have been in charge of "funding and management of the illegal immigrant/migrant shelter program," along with related agreements or contracts, The Times reported.

The investigation marks an escalation by the Justice Department under President Donald Trump, who had railed against so-called sanctuary cities and has promised to execute the nation’s biggest-ever deportation operation.

Since spring 2022, more than 230,000 foreign migrants have arrived in New York City, a majority of whom were housed in shelters, hotels and tents under the city’s only-in-the-nation right-to-shelter mandate.

Earlier Thursday, Adams lamented how those who worked to care for migrants are being affected.

"The workers should never get caught up in the politics of it. And that is who my heart goes out to," Adams said, speaking at an unrelated event. "And I say to them, you know, I'm sorry you're going through all that we're seeing, but they were committed. And what New York did, international immigrant leaders came to this city and said no one is doing what New York City has done. No one has put people on the path of the next step of the American dream."

Last month, the Trump administration clawed back $80.5 million from the city’s bank account that had been approved by Congress to reimburse the city for migrant sheltering costs. Newsday reported last year that data the immigrants themselves provided could be used to help carry out deportation.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.