As New York City swells with incoming illegal migrants following the end of Title 42, legal action has been initiated in Orange County following claims that wedding parties and homeless veterans were displaced to accommodate the uninvited newcomers. The Crossroads Hotel in Newburgh is at the heart of the controversy, with multiple couples alleging that the hotel canceled their room blocks without prior notification. In addition, homeless veterans, who were temporarily housed at the hotel, were also reportedly evicted.
Gary Moretti and Deanna Mifsud, one of the couples set to marry in the Hudson Valley, expressed their frustration, saying, “We felt discarded, disappointed, and angry that they just tossed us aside to make an extra dollar for the hotel.” The hotel’s move has shattered their wedding plans, stirring distress and anger among the affected parties.
Lawsuits fly: Hotel allegedly boots homeless vets, wedding parties to make room for migrants https://t.co/Fvg1QG10zK
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Notably, the Crossroads Hotel is located in Orange County, which declared a state of emergency ahead of the ending of Title 42. The county, alongside the town of Newburgh, has filed three lawsuits against New York City, the hotel, and Ramada by Wyndham, seeking to block the city’s plan to bus and house migrants in local hotels.
County Executive Steve Nehaus expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the situation, stating, “It’s a complete mess and the government has not been forthright and honest with us.”
Homeless veterans, who had been accommodated at the Crossroads Hotel, were among those displaced. Sharon Toney-Finch of the YIT Foundation, a nonprofit that works to provide housing to homeless military veterans, highlighted the grave injustice. “Whether you agree or disagree with migrants being housed in the Hudson Valley, I believe all of us can agree that this issue should not negatively impact our homeless veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country,” she said.
The response from the hotel has been far from satisfactory, according to the aggrieved parties. The lack of proactive communication from the hotel’s management has added insult to injury, leaving the affected guests scrambling to find alternative accommodation. A spokesman for Choice Hotels, the brand under which the Crossroads Hotel operates, assured that “All affected guests will be contacted for assistance with rebooking their upcoming reservations,” but many affected parties claim they had to discover the cancellations independently.
As the influx of migrants continues unabated, and the city’s plan to house them in hotels sparks controversy, it raises questions about the balance between humanitarian efforts and respect for local communities. Moreover, it highlights the potential for negligence and miscommunication in a rush to accommodate newcomers, leading to significant disruption for residents and guests.
