In a shocking revelation, Carlos Arellano, a former site administrator at Row NYC Hotel, has exposed disturbing conditions within the establishment, once a bustling tourist spot now repurposed as a migrant shelter. Arellano painted a picture of a “free-for-all,” marked by widespread drug use, violence, and neglect of migrant children.
Row NYC, located on Eighth Avenue, was transformed into one of the city’s largest migrant housing sites amidst a significant influx of migrants over the past year. Notably, the transformation of this once luxury 1,300-room hotel has led to an increase in public disorder, impacting neighboring businesses reliant on tourism and creating an environment conducive to underage intoxication and drug use.
A migrant father residing in the hotel expressed his anxiety over the nighttime chaos, stating, “It’s crazy around 9 or 10 p.m.” His concern focused on the vulnerability of children amidst the disorder, claiming he had witnessed minors as young as 12 participating in drinking and smoking, particularly highlighting the plight of Venezuelan children.
Arellano corroborated this, revealing the alarming regularity with which children were found unattended and often under the influence. “Every shift…we all had multiple reports of kids getting drunk, doing drugs, everything,” he recounted.
Arellano’s shared images and video footage attest to the deplorable conditions of the hotel rooms, littered with trash and personal belongings. To compound the issue, staff members were reportedly barred from entering these rooms or removing any items.
Furthermore, the escalating violence and threats to safety have become so rampant that Arellano and other staff members feared for their lives while on duty. “A lot of former coworkers… are saying this place deserves to be shut down, that they fear for their life every day,” Arellano confessed.
Despite these glaring issues, repercussions for lawbreakers are negligible. Rather than face proper legal action, they are simply relocated to another hotel or housing center, according to Arellano.
This crisis has imposed a significant strain on New York City’s budget, with estimates indicating that the city will spend around $4.5 billion grappling with the migrant influx. Currently, the city shelters over 45,200 migrants across various facilities, including Row NYC and the historic Roosevelt Hotel.
