For the past two months, Venezuelan migrant Natalie Zulbaran, 26, has called the Stewart Hotel in Midtown Manhattan home. The 850-room hotel near Penn Station, once filled with tourists, has been a migrant shelter since 2023, but it now stands as a stark reminder of the growing uncertainty facing New York’s immigrant and asylum-seeking communities.
President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office in a matter of days, has made cracking down on illegal immigration a priority. During a rally at New York's Madison Square Garden in October, he described the migrants as “savage” criminals and pledged to initiate the largest deportation programme in US history on his first day in the White House.
He has also said he plans to declare a national emergency that would involve military support to remove undocumented migrants, and he has put "sanctuary cities" including New York in the crosshairs.
Ms Zulbaran is unconcerned. “I'm not worried because I understand that [Mr Trump] wants to deport many migrants,” she told The National. “But I think he is thinking about the migrants who are causing harm, about the migrants who are doing wrong. Everyone wants to take care of their country.”
Despite her lack of worry, she is rushing to get her paperwork in order before the inauguration. She said she is comfortable with relocating within the US, saying she and her family have enough savings for the move.
In the spring of 2022, scores of buses filled with migrants from the southern border arrived in Manhattan in a political manoeuvre by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who was keen to test New York resolve as a self-proclaimed sanctuary city.
Since then, New York has welcomed more than 200,000 migrants from the southern border, spending more than $5 billion on the nation’s largest migrant shelter system.
To accommodate this new population, the relics of the pre-pandemic era – vacant hotels and unused office spaces – found a new purpose. These symbols of economic despair were swiftly turned into migrant shelters. City parks and even warehouses also evolved into communal housing.
But things are changing. New York Mayor Eric Adams announced last week that the city will close 13 emergency migrant shelters by June. He previously announced that 25 shelter sites would close by March.
The shelter closures come as the number of migrants arriving in New York has declined and the number of asylum seekers being housed by the city is at the lowest level in 18 months.
Jennifer and her family entered the US illegally from Ecuador about 10 months ago. So far, they have not obtained any legal documents to allow them to stay in the US and they face an uncertain future. City regulations typically limit asylum-seeking families to 60-day stays in shelters before they must leave.
“Unfortunately, now I can't do anything. We have been looking for apartments and rooms, but unfortunately, they ask us for many things,” she told The National. “I can't rent anything because they ask me for papers, which I don't have. For me, I am ready to leave.”
More than anything, Jennifer fears being sent back to Ecuador. When asked about her reasons for coming to New York, she replied: "My husband, for helping a friend who was in trouble. They wanted to kill him so we had to leave."
Matthew, an employee at the Stewart Hotel, criticised US government spending.
“You have a lot of American citizens who say look where our taxpayers' money is going … but nobody's looking and seeing the untold billions going to Ukraine just to fight Russia, the untold billions going to Israel … the untold trillions we've spent in the last 25 years and before with genocide all over the world,” he told The National.
“I think it's a shame that it should even be an issue with our government, given the amount of money … they throw around. These people [migrants] are great and they're going to benefit our nation."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brighton 1
Gross (50' pen)
Tottenham 1
Kane (48)
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Rasi, Harry Bentley (jockey), Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi (trainer).
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m; Winner: Ya Hayati, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Magic Lily, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Eynhallow, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)