Kathy Hochul announces that the private sector will hire 18,000 asylum seekers and eligible migrants

"Migrants and asylum seekers came here to work -- so let's put them to work," said the governor of New York, who is facing an unprecedented immigration crisis in the state.

Migrantes que llegaron a Nueva York a principios de agosto — (Cordon Press)

Published by

Rosana Rábago Sainz

3 de octubre, 2023

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the state's private sector will hire 18,000 asylum seekers and eligible migrants who have the necessary documentation to work in the United States. Specifically, she explained, a total of 379 companies will bring on immigrants who will be able to work in various jobs in sectors ranging from agriculture to technology.

With this decision, Hochul said during a press conference, she hopes to solve part of the enormous migration crisis that the state is experiencing, which has seen an influx of more than 125,000 migrants:

Migrants and asylum seekers came here to work -- so let's put them to work. Right now, we have a migrant crisis and a workforce crisis. By connecting work-eligible individuals with jobs and opportunity in New York, we can solve them both and secure a brighter future for all New Yorkers.

Jobs for migrants in New York

The initiative began on Aug. 24. That was the date on which the governor's office began evaluating and identifying migrants with work permits and determining what jobs they could perform. This analysis corresponds to the new jobs for migrants that will be created mainly in accommodation and food services (24% of offers), the health and social care sector (21%), manufacturing (10%) and administrative support (8%).

However, the governor believes that more can be done, and she used the press conference to urge other New York private companies to join the initiative:

We have to manage the fact that there's 125,000 people right now, up until tomorrow, have not been eligible to work, and have relied on public support for housing. That is not a sustainable dynamic. It is just not sustainable in the long term. But we've dealt with it. So, I'm going to call on businesses to sign up even more.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Hochul asked that Congress "have a limit" on immigration in order to control the border. She assured the CBS program "Face the Nation" that it was necessary to address the immigration crisis head on:

Well, we want them to have a limit on who can come across the border. It is too open right now. People coming from all over the world are finding their way through, simply saying they need asylum, and the majority of them seem to be ending up in the streets of New York and that is a real problem for New York City. There are 125,000 newly arrived individuals, and we are being taxed. We are always so proud of the fact that New York has the Statue of Liberty in our harbor- harbor. We are one of the most diverse places on earth because of our welcoming nature and our- it's in our DNA to welcome immigrants. But there has to be some limits in place. And Congress has to put more controls at the border.