Here in New York, hundreds of migrants have been forced to sleep on the streets, as Mayor Eric Adams declared “there is no more room.” He called out the Biden administration for failing to help as over 90,000 people arrived in New York City over the past year and a half. In July, the mayor said New York City would distribute flyers at the U.S.-Mexico border telling asylum seekers to “consider another city.” Housing and rights advocates have blasted the Adams administration for its handling of the situation. This is Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigration Coalition.
Murad Awawdeh: “It’s kind of another slap in the face. Our, you know, historical New Yorkers, who have been here, and our most recent arrivals, who are just seeking a little bit of help in this moment, we need to actually stop doubling and tripling down on broken systems like our emergency shelter system and actually invest in getting people out of emergency shelter and into permanent housing.”
New York officials are calling on the federal government to allow for expedited work permits for asylum seekers.