New York City Mayor Eric Adams wants to provide working papers to some of the illegal immigrants who have recently arrived in the city from the southern border. Since May, New York City has seen an influx of approximately 10,000 immigrants, most of whom crossed into Texas illegally and were bused to the City by Texas Governor Abbott.
According to the New York Post, migrants who want to work in the U.S. must apply for employment authorization with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after applying for asylum, which usually takes around six months.
In a recent interview, Mayor Adams stated, “I think it’s imperative that we look at the employment. Think about this for a moment. We’re telling migrants and asylum seekers, ‘You can come to the country but for six months you can’t work.’ What? Six months you can’t work.” He continued, “So six months you are having people who just sit idly by, waiting. So who’s supposed to pick up the tab for that? If the federal government is saying that for six months you can’t work, then the federal government should be saying for six months we [are] going to compensate you. Because someone has to pay for that.”
Adams did not say whether he would support giving migrants city jobs or the private sector. However, a City Hall representative noted that city officials requested the White House reduce the bureaucracy around federal work authorization regulations.
The mayor also claimed that the city is desperate for workers, but the unemployment rate in the five boroughs is currently 6.1%, nearly twice the 3.7% national average. Since the pandemic and the popularization of remote work, the city has had difficulty getting employees to return to the office. As of June 30, the Independent Budget Office reported an 8% vacancy rate across all city agencies, with some departments nearly 20% vacant.
