New York legislators attraction to US President to speed up assist for Caribbean asylum seekers
A number of New York Metropolis legislators are interesting to United States President Joe Biden to speed up assist to New York Metropolis to help Caribbean and different asylum seekers.
Among the many wave of asylum seekers in New York Metropolis are Haitians, Cubans and Venezuelans.
In a letter to President Biden, a replica of which was made out there to the Caribbean Media Company on Monday, at the least 30 New York legislators, together with Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, are urging the US federal authorities to speed up funding to municipalities to assist arriving asylum seekers.
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The legislators pressed for the Metropolis of New York to get its “due share” of the US$800 million in help for municipalities allotted by the US Congress in December.
“As New York Metropolis works mightily to assist america authorities meet its obligations to honor the rights of individuals to hunt asylum, we, the undersigned New York Metropolis elected officers, urge your administration to promptly present federal assist to assist the crucial humanitarian help our metropolis authorities has been offering to the tens of hundreds of asylum seekers who’ve arrived right here in current months,” the letter states.
“We request this assist each within the type of a big share of the US$800 million in FEMA fund—which we’re grateful that Congress allotted for this goal in December, and thru categorical grants made on to affected municipalities,” it provides, referring to the Federal Emergency Administration Administration.
“We additionally urge you to maneuver expeditiously to grant work authorizations to not too long ago arrived asylum seekers, in order that they’ll discover employment, as so lots of them are desperate to do. The fitting to flee persecution, and to hunt asylum abroad, is a human proper assured underneath each worldwide and US legislation.
“Below these legal guidelines, guaranteeing that proper is an obligation of the federal authorities. Whereas New York Metropolis, as a metropolis of immigrants that has thrived on the contributions of newcomers for greater than 400 years, is proud to play a big position in serving to our nation meet that obligation, the prices of assembly this nationwide obligation must be borne by the federal authorities.”
The legislators stated of their letter to Biden that, since final spring, New York Metropolis has welcomed about 40,000 asylum seekers, offering meals, shelter, medical care, authorized assist, and training.
“We’re at the moment offering shelter to roughly 27,000 asylum seekers. The inhabitants in our shelters has risen almost 40 p.c from final yr, with new arrivals now making up roughly one-third of New York Metropolis’s shelter inhabitants.
The legislators famous that New York Metropolis has made historic investments in offering free authorized providers to immigrants, spending US$67 million in 2022 alone.
CMC/