Indian American Republican politician Vivek Ramaswamy has blasted as “nuts” a report claiming the City of New York pays $220 million to rent a hotel owned by the Government of Pakistan to house illegal immigrants.
The Roosevelt Hotel, which has remained shuttered since 2020, now serves as temporary housing for undocumented immigrants under a three-year lease agreement with New York City. This deal is projected to generate significant revenue for the Pakistani government over its duration.
“A taxpayer-funded hotel for illegal migrants is owned by the Pakistani government which means NYC taxpayers are effectively paying a foreign government to house illegals in our own country. This is nuts,” he posted on social media
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Ramaswamy who along with Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been tasked by President-elect Donald Trump to spearhead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reacted in response to author John LeFevre’s post about it on X.
“The city of New York pays $220 million to rent the entire Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan to house illegal migrants,” he wrote. The Roosevelt Hotel is owned by Pakistan International Airlines, a Pakistani government-owned airline.
“The hotel is owned by the government of Pakistan, and the deal was part of a $1.1 billion IMF bailout package to help Pakistan avoid defaulting on their international debt,” LeFevre stated.
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LeFevre also noted the hotel’s troubled history, saying, “Prior to this sweetheart deal, the hotel had been closed since 2020, having long struggled with occupancy and in dire need of renovation.”
Khawaja Saad Rafique, Pakistan’s Minister of Railways and Aviation, confirmed the agreement, announcing in July that a 1,250-room lease had been signed. He emphasized that the hotel would revert to Pakistani control after the lease ends. “The lease agreement is expected to generate revenues to the tune of around $220 million for the Pakistan government,” Rafique stated.
The deal has sparked controversy, with critics like Ramaswamy questioning the use of taxpayer funds and the involvement of a foreign government in such arrangements.