Since April 2020, a surge of illegal migrants through the Southwest border has plagued the Biden Administration. Unable to adapt to such a wave, the administration’s radical policies and regulatory actions sparked “the worst border crisis in American history,” according to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing in January 2024. Overburdened with newfound responsibilities, cities across the country are struggling to house new migrants coming in groups of hundreds to thousands at a time. Eager to pounce on the newfound opportunity, hotels have engaged in deals amassing hundreds of millions of dollars in order to rent out blocks for said migrants. 

The Roosevelt Hotel, a Manhattan landmark, is one hotel renting out its rooms to house migrants. Owned by an entity of the Pakistani government, the Roosevelt Hotel agreed on a 220 million dollar deal with the city of New York, opening over 1,200 rooms for illegal migrants on a three-year term. Funded by taxpayers, the hotel hasn’t been open since 2020 due to financial struggles, and is in “dire need of renovation,” according to the Times of India, a prominent Indian newspaper. 

The deal is “part of a $1.1 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package aimed at preventing Pakistan from defaulting on international debt,” says investment banker and influencer John LeFevre. 

Supposed to be a refuge for those seeking it, the hotel has more effectively served as a recruiting zone for the prominent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Preying on teen boys, the gang has formed a youth offshoot known as “The Devils of 42nd Street.” Consisting mainly of high school-aged children, the ‘Little Tikes’ gangbangers are responsible for at least 50 crimes so far across the Manhattan area, ranging from petty theft to sexual trafficking charges. 

While multiple residents inside the hotel are speaking up against the mayhem, little to no action is actually taking place to combat it. 

One resident, Ufari Tama, 53, claims the boys “are out [in the hotel] all night. They steal and fight.”

A mother herself, Tama works hard to protect her boy from the environment, ensuring that he goes to school and the gym only.

Many female residents are scared to even step outside their doors, with fears of being attacked or raped. 

While the violence in the city is nothing new to many migrants, the open drug use is appalling. “[We are used to] violence, yes. But open drug use, no,” says Carla Quintana, a Venezuelan mother to five who also resides in the hotel.

Although seemingly prominent in Manhattan, Tren de Aragua has infiltrated and begun operations in 16 states, including DC. They are responsible for a complete takeover of an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, where they collect taxes from residents. While the numbers of associates to Tren de Aragua remain unclear, it is estimated that the gang is home to over 5,000 members, with a significant percentage migrating to the US. 

Although some argue that the grip the gang has on the nation is weak, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens compared the dangers of Tren de Aragua to that of fentanyl. Since settling in the US, the gang has “since branched out into gun and drug sales, and lucrative sex trafficking operations,” according to the New York Post.

With a new president in office and fresh ideas in the government, hopefully, the country will be able to solve a problem that is already too big.