MAYOR ADAMS URGES BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE EXPEDITED, EMERGENCY PATHS TO WORK AUTHORIZATION FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS AHEAD OF TITLE 42 LIFTING

 

With Over 34,000 Asylum Seekers Still Currently in City’s Care and No Hope for Support from Republicans in Congress, Mayor Adams Calls on White House to Expand Temporary Protective Status and Humanitarian Parole to Help Asylum Seekers Obtain Work Authorization

 

As Cost of Crisis Continues to Rise, Budget Director Lays Out Estimated Costs

As Republican leaders in Congress continue to refuse to provide any support for cities or states that have seen a mass influx of asylum seekers, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, members of the Adams administration, and elected officials today urged the Biden administration to immediately enhance paths to work authorization for asylum seekers currently in the U.S. and those who continue to arrive every day. It has been approximately one year since asylum seekers first started to be bussed to the five boroughs, and New York City still continues to receive approximately 200 asylum seekers each day — a number that’s only expected to grow following the lifting of Title 42 on May 11, 2023.

 

Mayor Adams is calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to re-designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants coming from Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Sudan, South Sudan, and Cameroon, to expand access to humanitarian parole for newly arriving asylum seekers and asylum seekers already in the United States, and to increase the number of and reassign existing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers to reduce application processing times. All of these actions can immediately be taken by the executive branch of the federal government and without legislation being passed by Republican leaders in Congress who refuse to offer any support for the ongoing crisis.

 

“As a city, we have done everything in our power to provide support to the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who have arrived at our doorstep,” said Mayor Adams. “While New York City has shouldered the costs of this crisis largely alone, we have always said that this is a national crisis that requires a coordinated, comprehensive response from the federal government. To deny people the ability to work legally sets them up for failure. The actions we’re urging our federal partners to do, all of which can be done without support from the Republican leaders in Congress who refuse to do their jobs, will ensure that asylum seekers in New York City, and across the country, can do what they came here to do — work lawfully and build stable lives.”

 

“For almost a year, asylum seekers have arrived in New York City to escape hardship and start their lives,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “However, until they have an opportunity for safe, legal work, they will continue to be at a standstill. This administration is urging our federal partners to act now and make sure asylum seekers have a fair shot at success in our country, starting with providing a path to work authorization.”

 

“The message from the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who have arrived to New York City has been clear — we want to work,” said Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “Asylum seekers want to contribute to New York City and the country, but until the federal government grants them the opportunity for legal work, they’ll be denied that opportunity. We are urging our federal partners to do what’s right and create a path forward for asylum seekers to safely enter our economy and start their American Dream.”

 

“For nearly a year, tens of thousands of people have come to New York City seeking asylum,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “We have stepped up, providing shelter, medical care, and educational support for children. However, this all comes with a cost that must be shared with our federal partners. We come together once more to call upon our federal partners to provide an efficient pathway to work for people seeking asylum that can and want to contribute to our local economy.”   

 

“While our administration has been leading the charge to respond to this humanitarian crisis, we need the federal government to support a nationwide strategy,” said Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro. “Thousands of recently arrived New Yorkers, unable to return to their home countries due to dangerous and unsafe circumstances, can be protected through TPS and humanitarian parole.”

 

The Adams administration has been calling upon the federal and state governments to provide additional support to address the influx of asylum seekers since last year. Today’s call lays out three concrete steps that the executive branch of the federal government can immediately take to expedite work authorization for asylum seekers:

• Given the continued worsening humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Sudan, South Sudan, and Cameroon, re-designating TPS to a more recent date and extending the eligibility period would allow a higher number of asylum seekers to access TPS protection. TPS-eligible individuals are able to receive work authorization for the duration of their TPS. 

• Providing access to humanitarian parole for asylum seekers in the United States and those crossing the border and allowing them to extend, as necessary, will further expedite access to work authorization. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security can exercise their discretion to provide humanitarian parole to individuals at the border and already in the United States, who can then apply for work authorization. 

• Surging additional USCIS officers to process key application types may dramatically reduce TPS and work authorization application processing times, including for individuals with pending asylum applications.

As of March 31, 2023, New York City alone has incurred more than $817 million in costs related to housing and caring for the asylum seeker population. Over Fiscal Year 2023, the city anticipates spending $1.4 billion, and $2.9 billion in Fiscal Year 2024. This means an estimated total of $4.3 billion will be spent by June 30, 2024. 

 

Despite calls for additional support for months, New York City faces these costs alone, without adequate support from the federal or state governments. This is an unsustainable fiscal burden that strains the city’s budget and places at risk funding for programs and services that benefit New Yorkers.