Several New York City legislators are appealing to United States President Joe Biden to accelerate aid to New York City to assist Caribbean and other asylum seekers.
Among the wave of asylum seekers in New York City are Haitians, Cubans and Venezuelans.
In a letter to President Biden, a copy of which was made available to the Caribbean Media Corporation on Monday, at least 30 New York legislators, including Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, are urging the US federal government to accelerate funding to municipalities to support arriving asylum seekers.
The legislators pressed for the City of New York to get its “due share” of the US$800 million in assistance for municipalities allocated by the US Congress in December.
“As New York City works mightily to help the United States government meet its obligations to honor the rights of people to seek asylum, we, the undersigned New York City elected officials, urge your administration to promptly provide federal aid to support the critical humanitarian assistance our city government has been providing to the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who have arrived here in recent months,” the letter states.
“We request this support both in the form of a significant share of the US$800 million in FEMA fund—which we are grateful that Congress allocated for this purpose in December, and through categorical grants made directly to affected municipalities,” it adds, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
“We also urge you to move expeditiously to grant work authorizations to recently arrived asylum seekers, so that they can find employment, as so many of them are eager to do. The right to flee persecution, and to seek asylum in another country, is a human right guaranteed under both international and US law.
“Under those laws, guaranteeing that right is an obligation of the federal government. While New York City, as a city of immigrants that has thrived on the contributions of newcomers for more than 400 years, is proud to play a significant role in helping our nation meet that obligation, the costs of meeting this national obligation should be borne by the federal government.”
The legislators said in their letter to Biden that, since last spring, New York City has welcomed about 40,000 asylum seekers, providing food, shelter, medical care, legal aid, and education.
“We are currently providing shelter to approximately 27,000 asylum seekers. The population in our shelters has risen nearly 40 percent from last year, with new arrivals now making up approximately one-third of New York City’s shelter population.
The legislators noted that New York City has made historic investments in providing free legal services to immigrants, spending US$67 million in 2022 alone.
CMC/
