The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the funding and management of New York City hotels operating as migrant shelters, according to a federal subpoena sent to a Manhattan hotel.
Federal prosecutors issued the subpoena to the Hotel Chandler in Midtown on Wednesday, seeking information on the city’s migrant shelter program. The subpoena requested “a list of full names of aliens currently residing at Hotel Chandler,” along with their nationalities, birth dates, and identification numbers. It also demanded testimony and records related to “an alleged violation” of federal immigration law, as well as the names of individuals and entities involved in funding and managing the migrant shelter program.
The Chandler, located on East 31st Street, was converted into a homeless shelter years ago but is not known to house migrants, making it unclear why prosecutors specifically targeted the hotel. The grand jury subpoena was issued by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for the office, referred inquiries to the Department of Justice in Washington, where a spokesperson declined to comment, citing an “ongoing criminal investigation.”
Last month, the Trump administration withdrew $80 million in federal funds intended to cover some of NYC’s migrant shelter expenses, singling out the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown, which had been converted into the city’s main processing center for migrants. The administration portrayed the hotel as a haven for migrant gangs, and shortly afterward, the city announced it would close the Roosevelt Hotel by June.
