New York City spends $385 a day per illegal immigrant, even if they work

Asylum seekers and immigrants staying in New York City are not sitting idly by. An investigation by the Daily Mail revealed that a good number of them work as delivery drivers despite lacking work permits and driving licenses.

According to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, the asylum seekers that the Eric Adams administration houses in the Roosevelt Hotel cost the city around $10 million a day. This boils down to roughly $385 per head per day while these immigrants wait for their legal standing to be resolved.

The economic package includes accommodation and food for asylum seekers. Although these basic needs are covered, many of them earn between $1,500 and $3,000 per month through small jobs that they do without any type of permit. According to the Daily Mail, asylum seekers mostly access these jobs through apps such as Uber. On scooters, and without a driving license, they then become delivery drivers and receive a salary in addition to government aid.

According to the Daily Mail, this situation predates the order issued last Wednesday by the White House, which has since allowed asylum seekers to access the labor market temporarily. The special permit was granted to nearly half a million Venezuelans who have entered U.S. borders. They join the 243,000 who already had access to this special work permit.