The mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York have asked for a meeting with President Joe Biden to get federal help to handle the surge of migrants who they say are arriving in their cities with little or no coordination, support or resources from your government.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the five Democratic mayors say that while they appreciate the work Biden has done so far, much more needs to be done to alleviate the problem plaguing their cities.
Migrants sleep in reception rooms of police stations in Chicago. In New York, a cruise ship terminal was converted into a shelter. In Denver, the number of migrants has increased tenfold and the space available to house them has disappeared. Lacking work permits, these migrants cannot find jobs that allow them to obtain housing.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who heads the coalition, says almost every conversation he has had with migrants starts with the same question: Can he help them get a job?
“The crisis is that we have people here desperate for employment. And we have employers desperate to hire them. And we have a federal government that prevents employers from hiring employees who want to work,” Johnston said.
The letter is also signed by the mayors of the country’s four largest cities: Eric Adams of New York, Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Brandon Johnson of Chicago and Sylvester Turner of Houston.
INCREASINGLY RESTRICTIVE IMMIGRATION POLICY
The situation on the border with Mexico has been the cause of political difficulties for the Democratic president, who is seeking re-election in 2024. He is increasingly receiving criticism from members of his own party who must deal with the increase in the number of migrants in their cities. . Republicans accuse him of neglecting border security and allowing too many people into the United States.
The president has responded by tightening border rules designed to curb illegal crossings and offering work permits and other incentives to those who enter legally, as long as they apply in advance and arrive by air.
“We are committed to providing support to local jurisdictions that receive migrants who have recently arrived in the country. “We are going to continue to provide support in every way we can,” said Emilie Simons, deputy White House press secretary.
Simons said the government is already working to reduce the time it takes for newly arrived migrants to enter the system to 30 days.
The White House said it has established a partnership with New York City to create a work permit clinic, where up to 300 migrants can go daily to submit their work authorization applications.
It is difficult to find a single reason for the marked increase in the arrival of migrants to these cities, but the economic and climatic adversities in their countries of origin stand out. More and more entire families are arriving to request asylum.
A LONG ASYLUM PROCESS
Some conservative-leaning states have sent migrants to so-called sanctuary cities like New York or Chicago, where laws are much more favorable to foreigners. But that alone doesn’t explain why those cities are facing such increases in arrivals.
In previous years, newcomers were released and picked up by non-profit organizations before going to live with relatives already in the country. But now people of other nationalities are arriving, and many no longer have anywhere to go.
Obtaining asylum is a long and difficult process through an immigration court system that is completely overwhelmed. In some cases migrants could have to wait up to a decade for a hearing. They are allowed to wait inside the country. Some are eligible to work, but those permits take too long to arrive. There are also fears that issuing too many work permits will encourage more people to make the dangerous journey on foot to the United States. So there are thousands of migrants in limbo, unable to work, sleeping in shelters or government facilities.
THEY ASK FOR MORE BUDGET TO HELP STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Biden has asked Congress for $1.4 billion to help state and local governments provide shelter and services for migrants, after previous calls from Democratic mayors and governors.
Johnston and the other mayors say in their letter that more money is needed, and they request $5 billion.
“While we deeply appreciate the proposal for additional federal funds, our city budgets and local taxpayers continue to bear the brunt of this ongoing federal crisis,” the letter reads. “Historically, cities have successfully welcomed and integrated new migrants.”
Denver spends $2 million weekly sheltering migrants. New York has exceeded $1.7 billion in total and Chicago has invested $320 million, according to the document.
“Our cities require additional resources that far exceed the proposed amount in order to adequately care for asylum seekers entering our communities,” the mayors said in their letter. “Depending on municipal budgets is unsustainable and has forced us to reduce essential services for the city.”
The mayors also want to expedite the work permit approval process so that migrants can find employment.
Mayor Johnson told reporters Wednesday that Chicago and other cities across the country have shouldered the responsibility of caring for migrants.
“From day one I have said that the federal government has to do more,” he stressed.
Cities are full of people who have applied, but there are delays of up to six months or more. The mayors also want permits to be expanded so that anyone who has been released within the United States is eligible to work while they wait for their case to be resolved in the immigration courts.
Finally, they ask the government to create a regional migration coordination position to serve as a liaison with the federal government, non-governmental organizations, and state and local officials. The objective is better coordination and taking migrants to places that have the capacity to receive them.
It is unknown whether Congress, including the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, will approve the funds Biden has requested, let alone increase support at the local level.
“We thought there was a real common sense path here and that’s why we thought it was important,” Johnston said.
Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen contributed to this report from Chicago.
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2023-11-02 02:54:00
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