What to Know
- A winter clothing drive took place at Floyd Bennett Field Thursday to help migrants deal with the freezing temperature the tri-state area has been grappling with over the past few days -- frigid temperatures that have not stopped asylum seekers from waiting overnight for a New York City ID card.
- However, an aid worker supporting migrants with hot soup, coffee and blankets, who did not want to be identified, said the process is not that simple. "There’s a misconception that, you get an NYC ID and immediately you have a federal work permit, which is not how it works," the aid worker said.
- The New York City ID card is free for all New Yorkers regardless of their immigration status. It provides access to a range of services and programs offered by the city.
A winter clothing drive took place at Floyd Bennett Field Thursday to help migrants deal with the freezing temperature the tri-state area has been grappling with over the past few days -- frigid temperatures that have not stopped asylum seekers from waiting overnight for a New York City ID card.
Video shows dozens of asylum seekers waiting in line for a municipal ID card outside a city office building in Boerum Hill.
"I can't get a job because I don't have an ID card," a 61-year-old migrant woman from Honduras told NBC New York early Thursday morning. She went on to mention that she had been sitting in the cold since 8 p.m. the night before trying to secure an identification card.
However, an aid worker supporting migrants with hot soup, coffee and blankets, who did not want to be identified, said the process is not that simple.
"There’s a misconception that, you get an NYC ID and immediately you have a federal work permit, which is not how it works," the aid worker said.
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Meanwhile, Alejandro, a 23-year-old migrant from Venezuela was pleading with city staff along with friends to set-up an appointment to request the coveted city ID.
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"The city is not even trying to tell the migrants, 'Hey, listen, you might wanna wait until it gets warmer to wait for this ID,'" the aid worker said.
The New York City ID card is free for all New Yorkers regardless of their immigration status. It provides access to a range of services and programs offered by the city.
A similar brutal situation under extremely cold temperatures was also taking place Thursday in Lower Manhattan, with asylum seekers trying to follow-up on their immigration status.
"The federal government can put out some heaters or put out some accommodations or get some more staff in," Alexander Rapaport, the executive director of the Masbia Relief Team, told NBC New York.
Meanwhile, at Floyd Bennett Field, a winter clothing and toy drive for asylum-seeking families was hosted by city officials and private donors.
Many of the migrants are experiencing their first North American winter.
"We are giving out hats, packets to keep families warm in the winter," Senior Vice President of NYC Health + Hospitals Ted Long said.
"We’ve been able to come together as New Yorkers and city government to help people who have been through so much," NYC Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs Manuel Castro said.
"We're here for her future," Giovanni Méndez, an asylum seeker, told NBC New York.
“I am grateful for the help but I just want to work for her future,” Méndez said with a sense of urgency as he and his wife care for their 2-year-old daughter.
