NYC Officials Urge Federal Action on Work Authorization for Asylum Seekers

Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul are urging the White House to expedite work authorization for the thousands of asylum seekers in New York City, who are unable to legally work for 180 days after filing for asylum. The current process is leaving migrants in limbo, and Hochul said it needs to be changed. The governor said thousands of jobs need to be filled during a historic labor shortage, like 5,000 farm jobs and 5,000 food service jobs. The Adams administration said the federal government could expedite work authorization by allowing a higher number of asylum seekers to access TPS protection or providing access to humanitarian parole.