NEW YORK (PIX11) — The New York business community and local leaders continue to push the Biden administration to allow migrants to legally work.
It comes as New York City is still directly caring for 48,000 migrants in about 170 hotels and other temporary shelters. The latest effort to change that is being led by U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, who represents Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in Congress.
Goldman is pressing President Joe Biden to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to South American migrants still coming by the thousands each week to New York City and other places. Goldman has drafted a bipartisan letter saying the asylum seeker process is too cumbersome and too lengthy to help resolve the current crisis.
Goldman made an argument that work will not just help the migrants become less reliant on New York City for help, but it will also boost the economy by helping with the labor shortage.
To underscore his point, Goldman brought leaders from labor and industry to a virtual press conference.
However, it’s far from the first time New Yorkers have heard the call for expedited migrant working papers.
PIX11 News asked Goldman why Biden, a fellow Democrat, has yet to budge on granting protected status for more recent arrivals — even while extending it for many immigrants who have been in the country for some time.
Goldman said regular conversations are being held with the White House, but details need to be worked out and there is the threat of litigation.
“We have some sympathy for that, but we continue to believe this is an urgent matter that needs immediate attention,” Goldman said.
