President Joe Biden earned the praise of New York City Mayor Eric Adams after the chief executive recently granted temporary protection from deportation – along with work permits – to almost 500,000 migrants from Venezuela.
In a statement released to the public, Adams thanked the president and New York City’s congressional delegation for “taking this important step that will bring hope to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now be immediately eligible for Temporary Protected Status.”
Adams also touted the accomplishments of his administration and its partners that he said led the call for the migrants to be granted the permission to work in the city.
Of the number granted temporary protection, more than 100,000 entered into NYC this year alone. Many are housed in temporary shelters like the storied and historical Roosevelt Hotel, but many have also taken to the streets while others live with friends or family in the city. The temporary work permit allows recipients – who had to arrive in the U.S. before July 31 this year – to gain legal employment for 18 months, or a year and a half.
Adams, along with Democratic New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez previously ripped the White House for what they felt was a failure by the Biden administration to respond to the problems caused by an influx of migrants, particularly into New York City. AOC even went as far as saying that immigration was “arguably this (Biden’s) administration’s weakest issue” as she admitted to not visiting the border for some time and said that it was a “very, very, very dangerous understanding” to believe that the “front line of our migration crisis being just our border.”
Proponents for the granting of temporary protection and work permits to the migrants also said that the move would allow them to contribute to the economy of the city while also giving local taxpayers a break from shouldering the expenses related to supporting migrant programs.
Many of these migrants are seeking asylum in the U.S. due to deteriorating conditions in their home country. According to the U.S. Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, decisions on asylum applications should be made within 180 days after an application is filed.
Thousands of other migrants from Venezuela who arrived after July 31 are not protected by the Biden order, and will be “will be removed when they are found to not have a legal basis to stay,” said Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security.
Many Republicans have opposed Democrat’s “open borders” policy, which has prompted a large spike in the number of illegal crossings and attempted crossings on the U.S. border. Many border towns and the local governments in Texas, California, and Arizona have had to deal with a lack of resources to deal with the influx of people, a fact that not everyone is happy with – prompting even some local officials to switch parties.
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations – covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
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