ERIC ADAMS: My fellow New Yorkers, immigration
is the New York City story.
It is the American story.
For centuries, immigrants have made that remarkable journey,
that leap of faith, searching for freedom, safety, a shot
at the American dream.
And the asylum-seekers who have arrived in our cities
since last spring are writing a new chapter
in this timeless story.
But as I declared nearly a year ago,
we are facing an unprecedented state of emergency.
Since last year, nearly 100,000 asylum-seekers
have arrived in our city, asking for shelter.
But we are past our breaking point.
New York is compassion, maybe limitless.
But our resources are not.
MICHELLE: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
MURAD AWAWDEH: We have seen an increase of individuals coming
to New York City since last March,
and the new arrivals, our newest New Yorkers who've
made New York home, have been having
a challenging time navigating the city and the state,
as well as services.
A lot of folks, especially the families with small children,
having a very challenging time, not just
navigating the shelter environment,
but also navigating the educational environment.
They are given license to come into the country,
but they are not given the tools to regularize their status,
and their status is basically in limbo.
So that adds, kind of, the urgency of their situation,
because they don't have the tools
to really know how can they legally
process their paperwork.
MURAD AWAWDEH: We're not just talking about the shelter.
We're not just talking about health care.
We're talking about the entirety of the wellbeing of
the individual and the family.
Folks are traveling to the United States
as kind of like a last-ditch effort,
and then trying to find safety for themselves,
for their families, and to have an opportunity just to live.
MICHELLE: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
LAUREN WYATT: Right now, there are
2.4 million cases pending nationally in the immigration
court system.
In New York City alone, there's about 230,000
cases pending between the three New
York City immigration courts.
There are more people being added to the docket
than there are cases being resolved.
And again, in many cases, it's not that the judges are
not doing everything they can.
It's just that all of the immigration nonprofits
are at capacity to assist people.
ERIC ADAMS: We must now take additional steps
to create urgently needed space for families with children who
continue to arrive seeking asylum,
and help those with us take the next steps to their journey.
We begin giving 60-day notice to adult asylum-seekers
in the coming days, and those who do not
find alternative housing by the time
their 60 days are complete--
they would be required to reapply for a new placement
at the arrival center.
MICHELLE: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
LAUREN WYATT: The city has been trying to house everybody
in temporary housing, with the hopes that once people are
able to obtain their work permits,
they'll be able to work, they'll be able to afford paid housing.
However, there are a lot of obstacles to obtaining
work permits right now.
Another thing that causes delays is
that people want to find a private attorney
to assist them.
They need to be able to work to afford that.
And so because of difficulties in obtaining work permits,
it's making it more difficult for people
to earn the money to pay a private attorney
to move along their cases as much as they can.
For example, 150 days after someone submits their asylum
application, they're eligible to request a work permit,
and they should receive it about 30 days later.
So in total, about 180 days after applying for asylum,
the person should be able to have a work
permit, which authorizes them to work
legally in the United States.
MICHELLE: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
MURAD AWAWDEH: Your number-one asset is your people.
And when you invest in your people,
that investment-- the yield and the return on that
investment is 1,000-fold.
Even if it's going to be a long road,
we need to start the process, so that we
are not delaying their ability to move
forward within that process.
JUAN CARLOS RUIZ: So it's going to take a while for people
to be on their own and on their feet.
Yes, at the beginning, people need the help,
but eventually, those who are here as migrants--
they give back to their communities.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
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