Whitey Ford
08-25-2023, 01:07 AM
‘Let Them Work’: N.Y. Governor Pushes Biden to Speed Up Migrant Permits
In a pronounced shift, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York on Thursday forcefully urged President Biden to respond to the influx of migrants arriving in the state, underscoring the urgency of a situation that has vexed Democratic leaders for months.
More than 100,000 migrants have traveled to New York City from the southern border over the past year, and more than half of them have taken refuge in the city’s shelters, straining the system.
Unlike Mayor Eric Adams, the governor has taken pains to avoid overtly criticizing the president’s response, choosing to communicate with Mr. Biden and his staff behind the scenes instead.
But the governor’s 10-minute address, live streamed from Albany, marked her most direct appeal to the federal government since she first called the migrant crisis a state emergency in May. She noted how the White House has failed to respond to her call to expedite work permits for newcomers and turn more federal properties into emergency shelters, saying, “We’ve managed thus far without substantive support from Washington.”
Ms. Hochul insisted on Thursday that the way out was to accelerate migrants’ ability to work legally while they awaited the outcome of their asylum cases, in order to get them out of shelters and on their feet financially.
Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, also announced the launch of a new state program that will help connect employers across the state with asylum seekers once they are granted permission to work. She framed the initiative as a potential lifeline for restaurants, farmers and hotels struggling with labor shortages.
“We have countless unfilled jobs that are begging for someone to just take them,” she said. “We are ready to act as soon as these migrants receive work authorization.”
https://archive.is/e3X3O#selection-392.0-541.68
In a pronounced shift, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York on Thursday forcefully urged President Biden to respond to the influx of migrants arriving in the state, underscoring the urgency of a situation that has vexed Democratic leaders for months.
More than 100,000 migrants have traveled to New York City from the southern border over the past year, and more than half of them have taken refuge in the city’s shelters, straining the system.
Unlike Mayor Eric Adams, the governor has taken pains to avoid overtly criticizing the president’s response, choosing to communicate with Mr. Biden and his staff behind the scenes instead.
But the governor’s 10-minute address, live streamed from Albany, marked her most direct appeal to the federal government since she first called the migrant crisis a state emergency in May. She noted how the White House has failed to respond to her call to expedite work permits for newcomers and turn more federal properties into emergency shelters, saying, “We’ve managed thus far without substantive support from Washington.”
Ms. Hochul insisted on Thursday that the way out was to accelerate migrants’ ability to work legally while they awaited the outcome of their asylum cases, in order to get them out of shelters and on their feet financially.
Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, also announced the launch of a new state program that will help connect employers across the state with asylum seekers once they are granted permission to work. She framed the initiative as a potential lifeline for restaurants, farmers and hotels struggling with labor shortages.
“We have countless unfilled jobs that are begging for someone to just take them,” she said. “We are ready to act as soon as these migrants receive work authorization.”
https://archive.is/e3X3O#selection-392.0-541.68