Gov. Kathy Hochul, Biden officials meet at White House on migrants
Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the actions announced by the administration were “a critical first step." Credit: Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago
WASHINGTON — Gov. Kathy Hochul met with top Biden administration officials on Wednesday who pledged to help identify migrants who are eligible to apply for temporary work permits, according to a summary of the meeting from the White House.
The White House said it will work with New York City “on a month of action” in September. The month will focus on raising awareness among migrants sheltered in the city who may be eligible for temporary work permits, under special immigration parole programs for those arriving from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
“Administration officials committed to launching a first-of-its-kind national campaign — for individuals who are work-eligible but have not yet applied for work authorization — with information on how to apply for employment authorization,” the White House said in a statement.
Eligible migrants will receive “direct communication” via text messages and emails, according to the statement.
Biden's chief of staff, Jeff Zeints, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas were at the two-hour, closed door session Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Department of Homeland Security officials and state and city leaders met Monday to address the growing number of migrants arriving in the city.
Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have been pressing the federal government for months to help expedite the temporary work permit timeline for asylum-seekers, but Biden administration officials have repeatedly said changing the time frame requires an act of Congress. Federal law states asylum applicants must wait 180 days before they can apply for temporary work status.
Hochul said in a statement the actions announced by the administration were “a critical first step, but make no mistake: it is not enough to fully address this crisis or provide the level of support that New Yorkers need and deserve.”
The governor said she will “continue working to secure expedited work authorization for even more individuals, expanded financial support for New York, and long-overdue immigration reforms.”
The White House said the Biden administration has requested an additional $600 million from Congress to aid states experiencing an influx in migrants.
A White House official said other federal agencies were mobilizing to support New York, including a pledge from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide additional COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations “should they be needed.”
More than 104,400 asylum-seekers have been processed by the city since 2022, with more than 59,400 currently under the city’s care in a network of 206 sites, according to figures provided by Adams’ office.
A group of Long Island Republican lawmakers on Thursday urged Hochul and Adams to repeal policies that Republicans contend are contributing to the increase.
New York City has long had laws and policies that prevent city agencies from enforcing federal immigration laws and prevent the sharing of information between city agencies and federal immigration enforcement officials.
At a news conference in Floral Park, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee, said he would not "support sending money to New York City to fight its migrant crisis until it repeals its sanctuary city policies."
LaLota was joined by Republican state lawmakers including Sens. Jack Martins, Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Mario Mattera, Anthony Palumbo, Steven Rhoads and Assem. Ari Brown. All objected to placing migrants in Nassau and Suffolk.
Hochul has resisted Adams' requests for the state to compel other counties to shelter migrants.
Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.
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