NEW YORK, CMC – New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has called for a “federal agenda” to support asylum seekers.
His call came as New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, traveled to Washington on Thursday to meet with Congressional legislators and Biden administration officials on the challenges facing the Caribbean and other asylum seekers in New York City.
Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, met with the White House Domestic Policy Council and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness earlier this week to push for U.S. federal action to support asylum seekers and housing solutions.
Many of the asylum seekers are nationals of Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.
“I am glad to see the mayor return to D.C. with a further push for federal action after my office’s trip yesterday,” Williams told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“Our city has a moral and legal obligation to provide shelter and services to people who arrive here seeking asylum, and we cannot back away from that responsibility. The federal government must commit resources and enact policies that help our city and country welcome migrants with dignity and support.
“As I discussed with the White House yesterday, we need expanded infrastructural support in New York City and throughout the country, additional resources for the city, expedited work authorization, improved language access, and expanded Temporary Protected Status, including for Black migrants, and increased access to legal representation for our new and aspiring New Yorkers,” he added.
Williams urged the mayor to reinforce the office’s calls “and advance an approach in our city and beyond which focuses on meeting the urgent needs of the people coming to our country, rather than denying or deferring them.”
After meeting with representatives from the White House Domestic Policy Council, Williams said he was “glad to have had the opportunity to lift the voices and concerns of asylum seekers and advocates on the ground to the White House.
“After over a year without adequate support for the city, we desperately need federal action that meets the scope and urgency of this moment to uphold our moral obligation to support our newest New Yorkers.
“It’s important for our national leaders to understand these issues’ impact and immediacy and partner with local leaders to deliver resources and results. I’m grateful to the White House for their receptiveness to our concerns and commitment to advancing the conversation,” Williams added.
He said his office will continue to connect the people making decisions in Washington and those most impacted by their policies.
Adams, who joined with members of the New York Congressional delegation that met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in Washington, said he “greatly appreciate [d] the support delivered by our federal partners.
“We had a productive conversation today, where we discussed the different ways [in which] we can work collaboratively to support New York City’s need as we continue to see an unprecedented surge of migrants,” he said.
“Not only did we discuss the city’s federal funding needs, but we also re-emphasized how crucial it is to expedite pathways to work authorization for those who are arriving and are already here.
Adams said New York City continues to see hundreds of asylum seekers arrive daily, on top of the more than 93,000 that have come since last year.
On Thursday, New York Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar released an open letter to President Joseph Biden urging him to lead a “robust and comprehensive response” to address the refugee and migrant influx of Caribbean and other immigrants in New York City.
Fifty-four elected Officials in New York City from the State Senate, State Assembly, and City Council signed the letter by Rajkumar, who represents the 38th Assembly District in Queens, New York.
They called on President Biden to declare an emergency, implement a decompression strategy at the southern border, let Caribbean and other asylum seekers work by expediting work authorization, and provide more funding and resources to New York City.
and then 