Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar
Photo by Anthony Medina
The legislative proposals from Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar in September have boosted the city’s call for more action and aid in regard to the migrant crisis.
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, when Rajkumar announced the introduction of a bill aimed at getting asylum seekers much anticipated work authorization in the state, she also joined Senator James Sanders Jr., Senator Leroy Comrie and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn for a rally calling out unfair attacks on Mayor Adams due to the migrant crisis and NYC budget cuts.
“It’s time for the state and federal government to step up and provide additional assistance to New York City at this time of crisis. Immigration is primarily a federal issue and yet the federal government is not supporting New York City like it ought to,” said Sanders. “Mayor Eric Adams is doing the best he can under the circumstances, and he deserves our support to lobby the state and federal government for more aid. The purpose of the additional aid would be to help provide services for immigrants and to prevent major cuts in city agency services that would have a negative impact on everyone.”
Adams warned this month that the city could be “destroyed” if it doesn’t get more assistance from the state and the federal governments to cope with the influx of migrants and said cuts to all city agencies may come next spring unless additional state and federal aid fills in the shortfall.
Rajkumar’s bill, introduced on Sept. 12, would grant work authorization to anyone who applied for asylum in the state. Her bill focuses on expediting the process to give asylum seekers work authorization, filling vacant jobs and bridging the growing divide between city and state on this humanitarian crisis.
“In the absence of federal action to issue work permits, the state must lead and issue the work permits on its own. It is time for the state to take ownership over the migrant…
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