The Big Apple, already suffering with a homeless problem that has seen shelters packed to capacity, is not faring well. Since Title 42 ended, yet another surge of illegal migrants is being shipped to the sanctuary city. What’s a mayor to do with so many immigrants looking for shelter and food? In New York, at least, it appears the answer to that is to boot out the homeless vets that were being sheltered in the Crossroads Hotel in Newburgh, about 60 miles north of the city.
Nearly two dozen vets have been kicked out of the hotel to make room for migrants. A 24-year-old who had returned from serving in Afghanistan was one of the dislodged veterans. Sharon Toney-Finch, the CEO of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, which helps veterans in need of living assistance, told the New York Post, “Our veterans have been placed in another hotel due to what’s going on with the immigrants.”
Housing for Migrants Pays More Than for Vets
Toney-Finch, a disabled veteran, said she believes the reason is all about the money. Her organization paid $88 per night for each vet. However, local government allegedly is paying around $190 a night per illegal immigrant. This isn’t the first hotel to provide living quarters for migrants; cities and states have been doing this for a while now.
As Liberty Nation reported, some illegal immigrants are being given extravagant accommodations, such as those enjoying the 1,300 rooms of the 28-story Row NYC luxury hotel. It boasts a red-carpeted entrance and many amenities, and previous visitors paid more than $400 per night for rooms now being handed out to migrants. Earlier this year in Manhattan, the world’s tallest Holiday Inn became a shelter for the undocumented. As the New York Post detailed:
“The nightly room rate the city will pay — which, with the hotel at full capacity, amounts to a daily tab of $93,500 and a monthly tab of $2.8 million — is at the high end of a range between $115 and $190 the city has allotted for a migrant hotel housing program that now reportedly spans dozens of hotels citywide, according to hotel consultant Geoffrey Mills.”
The hospitality industry suffered financial loss during the pandemic; for many hotels, this is a way to recoup some of those losses. But at the expense of our veterans? So far, Crossroads in Newburgh – ironically located just 5.7 miles from the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor – is the only reported facility to oust ex-military in favor of illegal immigrants.
State Assemblyman Brian Maher (R) told The Post, “Shining a light on this is important because we need to make sure these hotels know how important it is to respect the service of our veterans before they kick [them] out of hotels to make room.” He added:
“They really ought to think about the impact on these people already going through a traumatic time. Whether you agree with asylum-seekers being here or not, we can’t just ignore these veterans that are in our charge that we are supposed to protect: the New Yorkers and Americans.”
Weddings and Church Services Also Canceled for Illegals
The nation’s vets were not the only ones canceled by Crossroads. CBS reported that at least two couples lost accommodations, booked months in advance, for their wedding guests. "What we feel right now is, we feel very cast aside," said Sean Plunkett, the groom-to-be. They had reserved 37 rooms for their May 20 ceremony. Also, a Christian ministry that holds its Sunday services at the hotel now is forced to find another venue.
(Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The locals are not giving up without a fight, however. The town of Newburgh filed a lawsuit against the hotel chain, alleging New York Mayor Eric Adams relocated these migrants without consulting the city’s officials or the town codes. According to the suit, the hotel is zoned for temporary housing, but it is being turned into a long-term residential facility, which is against code.
Although the 20 or so veterans were supposed to stay at Crossroads for four weeks, the advocate agency said they were booted out halfway through. Even though they were transferred to other hotels, what message does this send to our veterans and the American people?
A citizen of Newburgh told The Post, “God help this country. Once the faucet opens, it doesn’t close. One hotel today, another hotel tomorrow.”
