Trump aide criticizes NYC’s $220m deal
with Pakistan’s PIA-owned Roosevelt Hotel
Vivek Ramaswamy, President-elect
Donald Trump’s nominee to co-lead the newly established Department of
Government Efficiency, criticized the New York City government’s $220 million
agreement to lease the Pakistan-owned Roosevelt Hotel for housing migrants.
Under the deal signed last year, the
iconic Roosevelt Hotel, owned by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), was
leased to the city for three years. According to former Pakistani aviation
minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, New York City agreed to pay $210 per room for
the hotel’s 1,025 rooms. The hotel has been repurposed as a migrant arrival
center offering services such as vaccinations, food, and other resources.
Read More PIA
not to sell New York’s Roosevelt Hotel
Ramaswamy voiced his concerns on
social media platform X (formerly Twitter), responding to a post by author John
Lefevre. He wrote, “A taxpayer-funded hotel for illegal migrants is owned by
the Pakistani government, meaning NYC taxpayers are effectively paying a
foreign government to house illegals in our own country. This is nuts.”
Ramaswamy, a former Republican
presidential candidate, will co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency
alongside billionaire Elon Musk. Trump has stated the department will operate
independently of traditional government structures.
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Roosevelt Hotel in New York may attain cultural heritage status after 100 years
The Roosevelt Hotel, a New York City
landmark, was closed by Pakistani authorities in October 2020 due to financial
challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility accrued approximately $25
million in liabilities, including taxes and overhead costs, before the current
lease agreement was made.
Source: Pakistan Today