NYC migrant crisis intensifies as calls grow for work permits to be issued

Starting Wednesday, the White House is sending a team of federal staffers as interpreters and support staff to help asylum seekers with the process of obtaining the work permits they need to start looking for jobs.

As the number of people seeking asylum continues to rise -- with an estimated 59,000 people currently in New York City shelters -- Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration has been exploring ways to go around the long wait for work permits at the federal level, including a state-level worker permit program.

"This would be unprecedented and I believe the federal government would believe that we will need their authority to move forward with state work permits but, as I said, we have to let them work," Hochul said during a press conference.

Several legislative proposals in Albany could make New York the first state to circumvent federal law… allowing those who have filed federal asylum-claims to be granted work licenses within forty-five (45) days.

However, Hochul has not endorsed any particular bill and did not rule out calling a special session to address the issue.

"After 180 days people are legally able to work in our state," Hochul said, adding that "we have asked to speed up that timeframe. A hundred days is still a long time but let's start getting people processed then get their work authorization."

But there are a lot of questions in terms of work authorizations for migrants, with officials emphasizing that this is very clearly a federal jurisdiction and that there is already a significant group of recently arrived people eligible to apply for work orders who have not done so.

White House staff is also looking to meet with local business leaders and exploring ways to activate the migrant workforce through legal permits.

On a related matter, federal officials confirmed that a lease is set to be finalized imminently for the use of Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to serve as an emergency relief center for migrants.