New York is finally doing something about its illegal immigrant problem: It’s allowing some to work for the state government.
This week, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced that the state would allow migrants who have their federal work authorization to apply for temporary jobs with the state government.
According to a report from Politico, New York is now the first state that has tried to make it easier for people who are seeking asylum in the U.S. to get jobs with the state government.
Among the changes that the governor’s office is putting into action to make this happen is loosening requirements for level of education, proficiency in the English language and certain certifications.
Illegal immigrants who have their work permits can now apply for any of the nearly 4,000 jobs that New York’s state government is making available to them.
Many of these jobs will be in entry-level positions that are sometimes tough for the state to fill, including jobs in facilities operations, food service and clerical duties, the governor’s office said.
Hochul has tried in the past to issue migrants work permits, but she was prohibited from doing so due to the law.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul called on federal officials to expedite work permits for thousands of migrants, many of them asylum-seekers, who have arrived in the city and state over the past year pic.twitter.com/2tDI12iLGL
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 23, 2023
Illegal immigration has become a major problem in New York City in particular, as more than 170,000 illegal immigrants have arrived there since 2022. The city has experienced a significant budget crunch as a result, with Mayor Eric Adams (D) saying cuts would have to be made to compensate for all the extra costs necessary for supporting the illegal immigrants.
Hochul said this week that providing migrants with paychecks would be an effective way to reduce the burden that both the city and state are experiencing.
“That’s the answer to this whole situation: Put them to work,” Hochul said.
New York is just one of many liberal-led cities that have experienced a huge surge in illegal immigrants coming to their region since President Joe Biden took office. Much of that is part of a plan by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to send illegal immigrants from his state to these places, which consider themselves to be “sanctuary cities.”
Abbott has long said that other states should share the burden that his state is squarely faced with due to the inaction of the Biden administration.
