Williams calls for ‘federal agenda’ to support Caribbean asylum seekers

As New York City Mayor Eric Adams traveled to Washington on Thursday to meet with Congressional legislators and Biden administration officials on the challenges facing Caribbean and other asylum seekers in New York City, Caribbean-American New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has called for a “federal agenda” to support asylum seekers.

On Wednesday, Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, met with the White House Domestic Policy Council and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness to push for US federal action to support asylum seekers and housing solutions. 

Many of the asylum seekers are nationals of Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. 

“I am glad to see the mayor return to D.C. [Washington, D.C.] with a further push for federal action after my office’s trip yesterday,” Williams told Caribbean Life on Thursday. “Our city has a moral and legal obligation to provide shelter and services to people who arrive here seeking asylum, and we cannot back away from that responsibility. The federal government must commit resources and enact policies that help our city and country welcome migrants with dignity and support. 

“As I discussed with the White House yesterday, we need expanded infrastructural support in New York City and throughout the country, additional resources for the city, expedited work authorization, improved language access and expanded Temporary Protected Status, including for Black migrants, and increased access to legal representation for our new and aspiring New Yorkers,” he added. “I urge the mayor to reinforce our office’s calls today, and advance an approach in our city and beyond which focuses on meeting the urgent needs of the people coming to our country, rather than denying or deferring them.” 

After meeting with representatives from the White House Domestic Policy Council, including Director Neera Tanden and former Secretary and Senior Advisor Tom Perez, Williams said he was “glad to have had the opportunity to lift up the voices and concerns of asylum seekers and advocates on the ground to the White House. 

“After over a year without adequate support for the city, we desperately need federal action that meets the scope and urgency of this moment in order to uphold our moral obligation to support our newest New Yorkers,” he stressed. “It’s important for our national leaders to understand the impact and immediacy of these issues, and to partner with local leaders to deliver resources and results.

“I’m grateful to the White House for their receptiveness to our concerns and their commitment to advancing the conversation,” Williams added. “My office will continue to serve as a connection between the people making decisions in Washington and the people most impacted by their policies in our city.”  

After joining a meeting hosted by members of the New York Congressional delegation with US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in Washington on Thursday, Adams said he “greatly appreciate [d] the support delivered by our federal partners. 

“We had a productive conversation today, where we discussed the different ways [in which] we can work collaboratively to support New York City’s need, as we continue to see a unprecedented surge of migrants,” he said. “Not only did we discuss the city’s federal funding needs, we also re-emphasized how crucial it is to expedite pathways to work authorization for those who are arriving and are already here. 

“Asylum seekers arriving to our country are seeking to build the American Dream; so, it’s time we finally give them a shot at it,” the mayor added. “We appreciate Secretary Mayorkas’ commitment to visiting the city and designating someone at DHS to serve as a point-person on our asylum seeker needs. We look forward to his visit and learning more about DHS’ plans for how this role will operate.” 

Adams said New York City continues to see hundreds of asylum seekers arrive every day, on top of the more than 93,000 that have arrived since last spring. 

“We continue to do more than any other city in the nation, but we need additional support from our federal and state partners,” he said. “We look forward to working with them in the weeks and months ahead to bring an end to this crisis.”

On Thursday, New York Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar released an open letter to President Joseph Biden urging him to lead a “robust and comprehensive response” to address the refugee and migrant influx of Caribbean and other immigrants in New York City.

Fifty-four elected Officials in New York City from the State Senate, State Assembly and City Council signed the letter by Rajkumar, who represents the 38th Assembly District in Queens, New York.

The elected officials call for the President to declare a state of emergency, implement a decompression strategy at the southern border, let Caribbean and other asylum seekers work by expediting work authorization, and provide more funding and resources to New York City.

They call this moment “one of the most significant humanitarian crises New York City has ever faced”, stating that the city is at “a breaking point.”

The elected officials state they are ready to help and support the President in taking action.

“We are elected officials from New York City requesting your help. Our city is experiencing an unprecedented migrant influx, with a surge of asylum seekers arriving here in numbers never seen before in history,” says the letter to Biden. “Our city is at a breaking point. We take pride in New York being a beacon of hope for immigrants, but the influx of migrants is so great that the city is running out of resources. New York City is being forced to reduce services for its people.

“This is one of the most significant humanitarian crises New York City has ever faced,” letter adds. “We cannot face it alone. We are requesting help from the White House.”

Specifically, the elected officials ask the US President to declare a Federal State of Emergency, expedite work authorization, create an organized strategy at the southern border to fairly distribute newcomers across the country and provide additional federal funding for New York City.  

“We need your leadership and a robust federal response to aid us in managing the migrant influx,” the letter stresses. “A state of emergency declaration will provide much-needed resources to New York City.

“The federal government must expedite the issuance of Employment Authorization Documents,” it adds, stating that it is a “common sense and bi-partisan fix.”

“However, while we welcome immigrants to our city, the current unstructured state of immigration policy and response needs to end,” the letter continues. “There needs to be a system of rules in place to manage the migrant crisis. That is why we are pleading for the White House to step in and take leadership over the influx of asylum seekers.”

Among elected officials signing the letter were New York State Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Party; New York City Council Member Farah Louis, the daughter of Haitian and Bahamian immigrants; and New York State Sen. Leroy Comrie, the son of Jamaican immigrants.