'This is nuts': Vivek Ramaswamy fumes at NYC's $220mn deal with Pakistan-owned hotel to ‘house illegals’
Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and Republican, has sharply responded to reports that New York City is leasing the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and Republican, has sharply responded to reports that New York City is leasing the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, which is owned by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), for $220 million. The Pakistani government owns the PIA.
“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,” Ramaswamy wrote on X.
“This is nuts,” he added.
Know about the ‘sweetheart deal’ NYC and Pakistan
Ramaswamy's remarks came after author John LeFevre highlighted the issue on X.
The agreement, according to LeFevre, is a component of a broader $1.1 billion bailout plan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) designed to protect Pakistan from going into default on its foreign debt.
“Prior to this sweetheart deal, the hotel had been closed since 2020, having long-struggled with occupancy and in dire need of renovation,” he stated.
Undocumented immigrants are currently staying at the Roosevelt Hotel, which has been shuttered since 2020 due to cheap occupancy rates and restoration requirements.
The hotel and New York City have a three-year lease arrangement in place.
Over time, this arrangement is anticipated to generate significant revenue for the Pakistani government.
Pakistan Railways Minister confirms deal
Khawaja Saad Rafique, Pakistan's Minister of Railways and Aviation, announced that a 1,250-room deal was signed.
He further stated that the hotel will be given back to Pakistan after the lease period is over.
“The lease agreement is expected to generate revenues to the tune of around USD 220 million for the Pakistan government,” Rafique stated in July.
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