Why no room at the inns? Feds filled ’em with people here illegally
Commentary
May 3, 2024
By Brian Lonergan
Those planning a sightseeing tour in one of America’s largest cities this summer may find it difficult to book a hotel room in or near the city, and the reason has nothing to do with increased tourism or business travel.
The U.S. government, in cooperation with sanctuary cities, have co-opted a growing number of hotels as temporary housing for the crush of people living in or entering the country illegally.
The epicenter of this phenomenon is New York City, which has been in crisis mode since buses of migrants began arriving steadily in the summer of 2022. Since then, the city has tried tent cities, homeless shelters, cruise ship terminals, airports and schools as living space for those here illegally.
Hotels, however, have emerged as the city’s go-to option. There are more than 16,000 hotel rooms in and around the Big Apple housing those who have come to America illegally. Many of the rooms are in hotels being used solely for migrants. Approximately 140 hotels in the region have either temporarily or permanently been taken out of inventory and are not available to regular travelers.
https://irli.org/why-no-room-at-the-inns-feds-filled-em-with-people-here-illegally/
