Mayor Eric Adams is continuing to publicly call on the Biden administration to temporarily authorize work permits for the tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived in New York City over the past year.
“We need the national government to stand up,” the mayor said during a rally at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan on Thursday. “This is not a New York City issue – this is a national issue and it must be resolved as a national issue.”
Adams, who was flanked by union leaders and other city officials, warned that without these permits, migrants could fall victim to predatory working conditions while “the economic engine of the state and of the country” could meet its demise.
Tens of thousands of migrants have entered New York – a sanctuary city that guarantees shelter and certain legal protections to non-citizens – since the expiration of a pandemic-era border mandate that once slowed the arrivals.
Adams has repeatedly requested more money and support from the federal government to help with the influx of migrants. In recent months, this has included asking the White House to temporarily authorize work permits that will allow the new arrivals to work legally in the U.S.
This week, Gov. Kathy Hochul met with White House officials, who said that roughly 20% of the migrants could already sign up for work authorization, but added that few of them had taken advantage of the federal program.
The demonstration took place place a day after officials revealed that there are now more than 59,400 asylum-seekers currently in the city’s homeless shelter system as of Aug. 27. More than 10,000 people enter the shelter system each month on average. More than 3,000 people have applied for asylum – which is part of the process of getting legal work authorization in the U.S.
On Thursday, Adams and other officials led the crowd in chants of “No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” and “Si se puede!” a Spanish-language political statement that typically…
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