What to Know
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams is ramping up his calls for the White House to expedite work permits for thousands of asylum seekers.
- Adams joined dozens of elected leaders in Lower Manhattan Thursday calling on migrants in the city to be permitted to work as more people continue to arrive.
- However, they weren't the only ones speaking up -- there was a small, but vocal group trying to drown out that message.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is ramping up his calls for the White House to expedite work permits for thousands of asylum seekers.
Adams joined dozens of elected leaders in Lower Manhattan Thursday calling on migrants in the city to be permitted to work as more people continue to arrive. However, they weren't the only ones speaking up -- there was a small, but vocal group trying to drown out that message.
There were competing views on an issue that has New York in a showdown with the federal government erupting Thursday at the American Dream Works rally In Foley Square.
"We're saying we must expedite work visas. It's just common sense," Adams said referring to the more than 100,000 asylum seekers who crossed the border and sought refuge in New York City over the past year.
Carlos, who arrived from Peru three months ago, was present at the rally to ask for work visas to be expedited saying he wants to work.
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TPS allows people from certain countries to get that opportunity faster and general federal rules mandate an 150-day waiting period for asylum seekers -- a time period the crowd present at Foley Square, which was filled with union members, say asylum seekers don't have, also adding there are thousands of vacant job positions.
"There are plenty of jobs for them. They aren't taking anybody's jobs," a protestor at the rally said.
Nora Danielson Lanier, a Brooklyn mom with a sign that read "LET OUR NEW NEIGHBORS FEED THEIR KIDS!", agrees.
"I wanted to show my kids how to stand up for what's right and to welcome our neighbors," Lanier, who supports work permits for asylum seekers, said.
This week Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Washington D.C. to speak to members of the Biden administration. She called it a "frank" and "productive" conversation, adding that the president and staff agreed to provide resources to identify migrants that are already cleared to work.
"This is a critical first step but make no mistake: it is not enough to fully address this crisis," Hochul said in a statement.
Not everyone in Lower Manhattan Thursday supported the governor and mayor's vision. Police escorted a handful of these protestors away. One told News 4 New York he is not against immigration, he's against letting people crossing the border cut in front of the line. While another one said this is about the more than $1 billion the city has spent.
"[Adams] is crashing the city's budget on purpose," Jonathan Rinaldi, a republican candidate for the New York City Council, was heard shouting. "This has nothing to do with immigration."
While onstage, the mayor said the city spent that money to live up to its obligation as a sanctuary city and then he demanded that the White House step up.
"Get on the field and fight this battle with us," he said.
Not all of the asylum seekers are from Spanish-speaking countries: some are also from Africa and island nations.
Several local, state and federal leaders told News 4 New York that discussions on the matter are ongoing.
