Since the Spring of 2022 New York City has welcomed buses from Texas into the city at Welcome Centers arranged by the local government. As an asylum city New York is a destination where those who have migrated to the US from other countries can seek refuge while applying for their US permanent or temporary status. Many have chosen to come to the US through the Mexican border. Refugees or displaced persons began entering the US in 1948 after World War II. According to the US Citizen and Immigrations Services , “The Displaced Persons Act of 1948, the first specific “refugee” act passed by Congress, was aimed to address the nearly 7 million displaced persons in Europe as a result of World War II. The act allowed refugees to enter the U.S. within the constraints of the existing quota system.” It has since then benefitted many foreigners from across the world and most recently has given opportunity to migrants from Mexico and beyond, Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala and most recently even as far as African nations such as Congo and Somalia says the Migration Policy Institute . Most are migrating to the US in search of work opportunities and safety. Paco Gomez who found work in a wet market that sells fish and other seafoods said “I came through the border with my wife and son, and it was no problem. We had some friends in Eagle Pass, that’s the name of where my friends work and I had a job in my town but there was no more work because people don’t come anymore, so we moved here to NY and my cousin helped me get this job.”
Many are like Paco and were granted work permits after 180 days. Asylum seekers are eligible to receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) once their asylum application has been pending for a total of 180 days according to the USCIS. In the meantime, many will look for work locally as day laborers and farmers market workers. A work that is familiar to some from their homelands. Often you may find migrants working selling flowers off the side of the highway or balloons and gifts not far from their temporary shelters. Day laborers can be found consistently in the same neighborhoods where construction teams will offer them work for the day on construction sites. For those who do not find work they may use the time to network with other locals or asylum seekers to try and find something more permanent. You can find these migrants making the most of their time-sharing meals or passing the time with recreational activities before returning to the shelters at tent camps like Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn. Floyd Bennet Field is a former military air base and is now housing nearly 2000 migrants, mostly from Ecuador. With no real end of the population decreasing or relocating in the near future and a sudden up tick of crime wave the city will continue to find new ways to support those who seek Asylum here in the city and look for ways to allow the new members of NYC to fill the loss of workers that reduced after the Covid Pandemic. New York City Mayor Adams has made a commitment to also support New York's Budgets with additional funds while those are making adjustments such as the Human Resources workers to assist in the Cost of Living adjustments with a whopping $741 Million adjustment to the budget.
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