Venezuelan Uncle and Niece Reunite at NYC’s Roosevelt Hotel Asylum Intake Center

-How does it feel to finally be able to meet her again, right?

“Thank God after a month without seeing them.”

This was the reunion of Ariannis Ramírez and Anthony Colina, a Venezuelan uncle and niece, after a month of being separated.

Anthony made it as far as the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown, Manhattan, which starting this Friday will serve as the main intake center for all asylum seekers and newly arrived immigrants.

‘I feel good, I mean, I don’t know how to explain it,’ Ramírez said.

And it is that Ariannis was part of the group of immigrants who arrived on an MTA bus to the new reception center at the Roosevelt Hotel, like other families.

-Who are you in here with?

“With my mom,” Ariannis replied.

-Tell me, how did you receive them?

“It was good, I mean, everything was rough, but thank God we are here, we are fine and nothing bad happened to us.”

-And what have they told you? Are they going to stay here or are they going to be moved somewhere else?

“We do not know yet”.

The city government announced that they would move their reception services, which were previously located at the Port Authority bus terminal, where volunteers played a fundamental role receiving immigrants, here to the hotel, and which will now be managed by NYC Health + Hospitals .

As they got off the bus, in the early hours of the morning, the more than 20 people, including children, were received by the city’s emergency management personnel and other entities.

The hotel, which had permanently closed its doors as a result of the pandemic, reopened 175 rooms especially for children and families, reaching a maximum of 850 rooms.

Also, here everyone who arrives will have access to a series of legal and medical services.

A couple of hours after the arrival of the bus, women and men, apparently alone, were taken out of the center,

Do you know where they are going to take them?

“No” (with head sign).

And taken, to an unknown place.

In addition, immigrants who are currently wards of the city will also be able to visit the center here at the Roosevelt Hotel, to access all of these services.