NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday reiterated an urgent call for President Joe Biden to “immediately” grant TPS work permits to thousands of immigrants arriving in the United States, and en masse in New York last year, seeking asylum in the country, as Title 42 is about to expire.
Adams specifically calls for a redefinition of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and an extension of the period of validity, which can only be done with the signature of the President, for Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Sudan, South Sudan, Cameroon and other African countries.
He assures that this will allow a greater number of asylum seekers to access the protection of the TPS and that they will be able to benefit from a work permit.
He also today called on the Biden administration to expand access to humanitarian parole for them and to increase the number and reassignment of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers. to reduce application processing times.
Humanitarian parole, which may be granted for urgent medical or humanitarian reasons and other emergencies, is often a “last chance” to enter the United States for those who are otherwise ineligible for a visa.
Adams, who has been pushing for economic aid from the federal government since declaring a humanitarian crisis last year due to the influx of immigrants, made his voice heard again as Title 42 loomed. to expire on May 11, which he said will increase irregular arrivals in the city.
Title 42, a controversial health regulation imposed by the government of Donald Trump (2017-2021) and maintained by the current administration, allows migrants of certain nationalities who arrive at the border to be deported to Mexico, without giving them the possibility of applying for asylum. .
According to the mayor, some 1,400 migrants arrive in the city every week. So far, at least 52,000 people have been taken in, many families with children, and more than 34,000 are in public shelters as well as in hotels that the city has had to contract, to which it also provides meals as well than other services through NGOs.
“Thousands of people are waiting to cross the border and potentially end up in New York, so 52,000 can jump to 100,000,” he said, reiterating that they haven’t “heard of a real plan of the White House” for the expiration of title 42. . .
“We need Washington to respond,” Adams said, adding that “the president and the White House failed in New York on this issue” of immigrants.
Adams also revealed that as of March 31, the city has spent $817 million on newcomer services.
The city plans to spend $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2023 and $2.9 billion in 2024. The Adams administration says it’s an “unsustainable” tax burden that’s straining pressure on the city budget and jeopardizes funding for programs and services that benefit New Yorkers.
Adams said the newcomers expressed a desire for employment and said they could work in agriculture, food service transportation and factories, adding that “everyone is looking for employees.”