NEW YORK, CMC – New York Attorney General Letitia James, is calling on the Biden administration to take immediate action to grant work authorization permits for Caribbean and other migrants who are new to the United States.
Many of the refugees arriving in New York from the southern borders of the United States are nationals of Cuba and Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
As part of a coalition of 19 attorneys general, James sent a letter on Thursday to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, urging Washington to resolve the delays and bureaucratic inefficiencies that are preventing migrants from finding work and making it more difficult for states to provide sufficient resources to support migrants.
“For generations, immigrants have come to New York seeking new opportunities for themselves and their families, and recent arrivals are no different. But bureaucratic delays and a lack of work permits deprive new immigrants of the chance to create a better life here in America.
“Moreover, these delays are hurting our economy by depriving businesses of a much-needed source of labor. Immigrants helped build the Empire State [New York], and I will continue to fight to ensure they are treated with dignity and have a fair shot at the American dream,” James added.
She said while many newly-arrived migrants are eligible for work authorization and eager to find employment, the long processing delays have left many unable to support themselves and their families.
James said this has placed an increasing and unsustainable burden on states that offer support services to ensure migrants do not go without food, shelter, medical care, and education.
The New York Attorney General said businesses are also experiencing increasing demand for workers in critical industries like food service, retail, transportation, and health care.
“Expediting work authorization for migrants will help meet these demands and reduce the risk that workers will be subjected to depressed wages, poor working conditions, or other violations of their rights,” James said.
The coalition also noted that while a significant portion of migrants are immediately eligible for work permits, processing delays have left many waiting ten months or more for authorization.
“Wait times are particularly long for those who require a fee waiver, as they cannot submit their applications online,” the coalition said in a statement.
“Of those migrants who have managed to secure employment authorization, many have lost their jobs due to the expiration of their work permits while renewal applications are pending.”
The coalition members are urging the federal government to remedy these problems. They specifically request that DHS grant work authorization when new arrivals are allowed to remain in the United States, address inconsistent lengths of permitted time allowed in the United States, and streamline renewal.
They also want the federal government to renew work authorization automatically permits whenever someone’s allowance to remain in the United States or other immigration status is restored; and make work authorization applications with a fee waiver available online to streamline and expedite processes.
James has consistently fought for immigrant communities across New York. In 2021, she led a coalition of 16 states to stop deportations of undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants. She sued a bail bonds company that used deceptive and abusive tactics to prey on immigrants in federal detention.
This year she led a coalition of 22 attorneys general to oppose a lawsuit seeking to end the Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and, in 2020, she led a coalition of states successfully arguing before the US Supreme Court in favor of keeping DACA in place.
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