NYC officials announce sprint to identify asylum seekers who are eligible for work authorization

This will build upon the 3,800 applications that have already been completed since the city’s Asylum Seeker Health Center launched in late June.

Phil Taitt and Adolfo Carrion

Sep 13, 2023, 9:26 PM

Updated 469 days ago

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City officials announced Wednesday that they will be making an increasingly concerted effort to identify who is eligible for work authorization out of the tens of thousands of migrants under their care.  
This will build upon the 3,800 applications that have already been completed since the city’s Asylum Seeker Health Center launched in late June.  
The service to receive help with that application is appointment-based due to the various languages the city looks to provide to aid asylum seekers. Once a client proceeds, forms are filed and reviewed by immigration attorneys.  
“If they’re doing this effort, actively seeking out people, education, this is the most important thing we need right now,” said immigration attorney Lymari Casta. “If these people miss the one-year deadline… they might not ever be eligible for any benefits and risk deportation.”  
As of Sept. 10, nearly 113,000 people are under New York City care, including just under 60,000 migrants.