A Jackson Hewitt employee in Manhattan was caught offering tax refund help to illegal immigrants regardless of work status, according to footage posted by journalist Savanah Hernandez. The encounter took place in front of the Roosevelt Hotel, a former luxury hotel turned migrant housing facility.
While reporting outside the shelter, Hernandez approached a promotional table and was handed a Spanish-language flyer stating migrants could claim tax refunds “working or not.” The flyer included refund estimates topping $14,000 for families with three children. Refunds were also listed at $7,650 and $12,635 for one and two children respectively.
🚨 BREAKING: Employees of Jackson-Hewitt, a tax services company, were handing out flyers to illegal immigrants lined up outside of the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC, which is famous for housing migrants on the taxpayer's dime.
The flyer indicates that illegal immigrants can get up to… pic.twitter.com/w56w7oZ1BN
— FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) March 29, 2025
Hernandez said the flyer was taken back after she revealed she was with the media. When asked directly if the service was meant to help illegal immigrants claim refunds, an employee responded affirmatively. Another confirmed that Jackson Hewitt had similar outreach efforts at “all the shelters.”
The Roosevelt Hotel has processed thousands of migrants since reopening under city management. Its transformation from a historic hospitality site into a migrant center earned it the nickname “the new Ellis Island.” However, Mayor Eric Adams recently said the shelter will close in June.
Jackson Hewitt has not issued public comment on the incident. The flyer did not specify whether legal status or income verification was required to qualify for the advertised refunds.
After Hernandez posted the video online, Elon Musk — now leading the Department of Government Efficiency — weighed in. Musk accused Democrats of enabling fraudulent tax claims by illegal immigrants to build long-term political control.
According to city figures, New York has spent over $7 billion addressing the migrant crisis since mid-2022. Despite the planned closure of the Roosevelt location, the city recently opened a new facility in the Bronx with 2,200 beds for single men.
