NEW YORK, CMC – New York Governor Kathy Hochul has called on President Joe Biden to take executive action and direct additional federal resources to the State of New York as it manages the unprecedented influx of Caribbean and other asylum seekers in New York.
Many of the asylum seekers arriving in New York from the southern borders of the United States are nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
In a formal request sent to the White House, Hochul outlined specific, outstanding recommendations, including expedited work authorizations for asylum seekers, financial assistance for New York City and New York State, and the use of federal land and facilities for temporary shelter sites.
She also wants Title 32 designation to provide federal funding for the nearly 2,000 New York National Guard members currently providing logistical and operational support across New York State.
“For over a year, I have called for federal assistance and support for New York as we manage the unprecedented number of asylum seekers arriving in our state,” Governor Hochul said.
“New York cannot continue to do this on its own. It is time for President Biden to take action and provide New York with the aid needed to continue managing this ongoing crisis,” she added.
Governor Hochul also announced a program that will significantly expand the New York State’s ability to help asylum seekers quickly gain lawful employment.
She directed the New York State Department of Labour (DOL) to help connect asylum seekers to employment opportunities so they can begin working immediately after obtaining federal work authorization.
Hochul said DOL career experts will work with individuals to assess skills, work history, education, career interests, and more and connect them with employers across the state.
Additionally, the DOL launched a portal enabling businesses to inform the state that they would welcome newly authorized individuals into their workforce.
The actions by Hochul are the latest efforts to address the arrival of asylum seekers and migrants in New York.
Earlier this week, she announced a US$20 million investment to help expedite the casework filing process for more than 30,000 asylum seekers.
In her letter, the governor told Biden that New York State has been working with the City of New York to manage the arrival of many migrants and individuals seeking asylum in New York over the past year.
“This influx has stretched the city’s and state’s resources, created tremendous operational and management challenges, and imposed overwhelming demands on the city’s homeless shelters,” she said.
“I wrote to you earlier this year to ask for the use of certain federal properties to provide temporary shelter. While I appreciate you taking initial steps to assist the state in this regard and your longstanding commitment to an equitable approach to immigration at the Southwest border, the challenges we face demand a much more vigorous federal response,” she added.
“With the arrival of over 100,000 asylum seekers and migrants in the past year, coupled with the sustained arrival of hundreds if not thousands to the city every week, the federal government must partner with the city and state in handling this humanitarian crisis,” Hochul urged.
“The city and the state have provided significant funding, staffing, and case management for these arrivals. I write to you today to express a most urgent need for the federal government to take executive action and direct significant financial assistance to address this challenge,” she continued.
Responding to the governor’s letter to Biden, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was “gratified to hear that she is calling for immediate federal action.”
Since the spring of 2022, he said New York City has “borne the brunt of a national crisis – providing shelter and care for a population more significant than the city of Albany [New York].
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