Outside the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, a Jackson Hewitt employee was caught on camera confirming that tax services were being offered to migrants regardless of their employment history. The hotel currently functions as a shelter for illegal immigrants under the city’s migrant response plan.
Independent journalist Savanah Hernandez approached the tax service table while reporting near the shelter. She said she was given a flyer written in Spanish, advertising refunds whether or not the person worked. It explained that a family with three children could receive up to $14,255.
🚨 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
After Hernandez identified herself as a journalist, the flyer was taken back. On video, one employee admitted they were helping migrants apply for refunds. Another person working at the table said similar outreach was happening across shelters in the city.
The flyer didn’t mention any requirement to verify legal status or income. It listed estimated refund amounts based on how many children an applicant claimed. Figures included $7,650 for one child and $12,635 for two.
The Roosevelt Hotel was once a high-end tourist destination, but it shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has been used to process migrants and provide temporary shelter. City officials recently announced that the location will close in the coming months.
The video drew immediate attention from Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk posted that such refund tactics are part of a broader effort to create political loyalty among illegal immigrants. He argued the fraudulent payouts are costing U.S. taxpayers billions.
City records show that more than $7 billion has been spent on migrant services since 2022. The latest addition to the shelter system — a 2,200-bed facility in the Bronx — will house single adult males.
