NEW YORK, CMC—New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams welcomed President Joe Biden’s govt order increasing work authorization for longtime undocumented Caribbean and different immigrants on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Biden introduced new actions that will help the power of undocumented Caribbean and different immigrants to work and stay in america with their households with out concern of deportation. On the identical time, they pursue a pathway to authorized standing.
New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams
Final month, Adams and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson led a coalition of 40 Cities for Motion mayors calling for expanded work authorization for long-term undocumented immigrants.
The letter argued that extending work authorization would profit your complete nation economically.
On Wednesday, Adams thanked and congratulated Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Biden administration for his or her “daring, compassionate management over the previous few weeks.”
“New York Metropolis is a metropolis of immigrants, and thousands and thousands have come to our metropolis and our nation in pursuit of the American Dream over the previous two centuries. They didn’t count on it to be handed to them — they got here to work for it,” mentioned Adams, stating that Biden has “introduced that dream a step nearer to actuality for therefore many as soon as once more.
“The chief orders the president has issued over the previous few weeks will carry order to the border, reduction to cities throughout the nation, and alternative to thousands and thousands who’ve needed to work beneath the desk, far too typically in harmful jobs that don’t pay residing wages as a result of the workers weren’t in a position to work legally,” he added.
Adams mentioned immigrants helped by Biden’s govt order on Tuesday are “our neighbors, neighborhood leaders, and oldsters.
“They’ve been in america for years, paying taxes and enriching the material of our nation,” he mentioned.
However the mayor mentioned whereas President Biden’s govt orders over the previous weeks might be “an incredible assist, the actual fact stays that excessive Republicans in Congress have refused to move any type of complete immigration reform or acceptable the funding that cities like New York want.
“The time for Congress to place politics apart and reform our immigration system is now,” he mentioned. “Hundreds of thousands of immigrants, hundreds of companies, and a nation constructed by those that got here to our shores able to work for a greater life demand it.”
Within the coming months, Adams mentioned he’ll “proceed our dialog with President Biden and his administration to increase entry to work authorization for the greater than 200,000 migrants and asylum seekers who’ve come to New York Metropolis prior to now two years asking us for help — greater than 65,000 of whom are nonetheless in our care.”
Most of the migrants arriving in New York and different main cities, resembling Chicago, after crossing the southern border of america are nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
Adams mentioned authorized, approved work results in “increased wages and diminished exploitation, enhancing office security and dignity.”
By extending work authorizations to thousands and thousands, he mentioned the Biden-Harris administration is taking “a big step in the direction of supporting these precious neighborhood members that contribute extensively to the US workforce and financial system.”
Adams mentioned Tuesday’s initiative is supported by greater than 80 members of the US Congress; the American Enterprise Immigration Coalition’s greater than 300 employers, chief govt officers, and associations; and labor organizations, resembling UNITE HERE, the Teamsters, and SEIU.
On Tuesday, immigration advocates in New York and Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke welcomed what they describe as Biden’s “commonsense actions” to help long-standing undocumented Caribbean and different immigrants.
“We commend President Biden and Vice President Harris for taking welcome motion to deal with the wants of immigrant communities and preserve households collectively,” Murad Awawdeh, president and chief govt officer of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella coverage and advocacy group that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights teams all through New York, advised the Caribbean Media Company (CMC).
“Frequent sense use of current regulation to offer options is the constructive management we have to reform our immigration system,” he added. “Growing entry to work authorization and authorized standing is a sensible funding in making a stronger America and a strong workforce.
“It’s additionally the appropriate factor to do to maintain households united and equip folks to help themselves and thrive with dignity,” Awawdeh continued. “A balanced method to fixing our immigration system ensures a good, humane, and orderly system for managing the border and entry to secure and lawful pathways for immigration – in addition to citizenship for DACA (Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, Dreamers, and long-settled immigrant households who’ve lengthy known as America residence.”
He mentioned Biden’s actions are “a step in the appropriate path to constructing a future that unites us all,” calling, on the identical time, on the Biden administration to “construct on this historic announcement within the coming weeks.”
Constructing on current authorities, Awawdeh mentioned a “Parole in Place” course of will apply to undocumented spouses of United States residents who’ve resided within the US for not less than ten years and meet different eligibility necessities.
He mentioned this new course of may gain advantage as much as 500,000 immigrants and 50,000 of their kids beneath 21.
Moreover, Awawdeh famous that the up to date coverage for the immigration waiver will assist take away obstacles to employment authorization for DACA recipients and Dreamers who maintain a level from a US college and have a job provide from a US employer associated to their diploma.
Natalia Aristizabal, deputy director of Make the Highway New York, one other immigration advocacy group, additionally mentioned Biden’s motion is “a step in the appropriate path for the practically half 1,000,000 folks residing in america, who could profit from in the present day’s announcement.”
“For years, we’ve been calling on the president to move immigration reform,” she advised CMC. “Within the absence of congressional motion on a complete and humane invoice, we’re glad to see Biden announce this in the present day.
“This victory comes after years of pushing the administration to offer options for the immigrant neighborhood,” Aristizabal added. “Whereas immigrants in america have been beneath great risk from extremists, we’ve proven that we are going to not again down and can proceed to carry leaders accountable for delivering for our households.”
She mentioned the potential influence of Tuesday’s motion on households might be “far-reaching.”
“For a lot of mother and father who’ve nervous about not seeing their kids develop up, or spouses who’ve feared being taken away from their family members, ‘Parole in Place’ will present welcome reduction,” Aristizabal mentioned.
On the identical time, she additionally known as on Biden to implement “extra commonsense immigration measures that may make an actual influence in our communities.”
“Whereas extremists within the Republican Occasion proceed to push xenophobic insurance policies, it’s extra necessary than ever for President Biden to make use of his govt energy—to not cave to anti-immigrant sentiment, as he has carried out in limiting asylum—however to push ahead insurance policies that may really profit all Individuals, like humane immigration reform, expediting work permits, and increasing Non permanent Protected Standing and Deferred Enforced Departure,” Aristizabal mentioned.
“We deserve extra and gained’t cease combating for it,” she careworn.
Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, famous that, over the weekend, as America “commemorated 12 years of being uplifted and bettered by DACA, we had been every reminded of the huge contributions undocumented people proceed to carry to our communities by their dedication, abilities, and devotion to an often-ungrateful nation.
“Undocumented Individuals have come to symbolize an irreplaceable aspect of our social and financial cloth,” mentioned the consultant for the predominantly Caribbean ninth Congressional District in Brooklyn. “But, far too many have remained unsure about their standing. Fortunately, we’re on the humanitarian path ahead by the Biden-Harris administration’s historic motion in the present day.”
Clarke mentioned this coverage change “stands among the many most important steps to guard immigrants and their households since President Obama first introduced DACA.
“For undocumented spouses of US residents. Whose future in our nation is now secured, the various kids residing in mixed-status households who had been vulnerable to dropping a father or mother to deportation, and the numerous different Individuals who’re proud to carry an undocumented individual near their hearts, the fast and significant influence of this second can’t be overstated,” the congresswoman emphasised to CMC.
“President Biden’s announcement is a vital step in our combat to offer undocumented Individuals the lives they deserve and the soundness we’re every entitled to,” she added. “Furthermore, it upholds the reality that our precedence is, and should at all times be, to maintain households collectively.
“However make no mistake, regardless of in the present day’s landmark announcement, we should not lose sight of the highway forward,” Clarke warned. “Securing a pathway to citizenship is as vital now as ever earlier than.
“With this administration’s dedication to supporting immigrant households of each background and inside each neighborhood, I’m optimistic that we are going to attain the progress undocumented people have lengthy awaited,” she continued.
Biden introduced on Tuesday that this new course of will assist sure noncitizen spouses and youngsters apply for lawful everlasting residence – “standing that they’re already eligible for – with out leaving the nation.”
“These actions will promote household unity and strengthen our financial system, offering a big profit to the nation and serving to US residents and their noncitizen relations keep collectively,” he mentioned.
To be able to be eligible, Biden mentioned noncitizens will need to have resided in america for 10 or extra years and be legally married to a US citizen as of June 17, 2024, whereas satisfying all relevant authorized necessities.
He mentioned that, on common, those that are eligible for this course of have resided within the US for 23 years.
The president mentioned these permitted after the Division of Homeland Safety’s (DHS) case-by-case evaluation of their utility might be afforded three years to use for everlasting residency.
“They are going to be allowed to stay with their households in america and be eligible for work authorization for as much as three years,” Biden mentioned. “This may apply to all married {couples} who’re eligible.”
He mentioned this motion will shield about half 1,000,000 spouses of US residents and about 50,000 noncitizen kids beneath 21 whose father or mother is married to a US citizen.
Biden mentioned the brand new coverage will enable immigrants, together with DACA recipients and different Dreamers, younger individuals who had been delivered to America as kids, who’ve earned a level at an accredited US establishment of upper training, and who’ve obtained a suggestion of employment from a US employer in a subject associated to their diploma, to acquire work visas extra shortly.
“Recognizing that it’s in our nationwide curiosity to make sure that people who’re educated within the US can use their expertise and training to learn our nation, the administration is taking motion to facilitate the employment visa course of for individuals who have graduated from faculty and have a high-skilled job provide, together with DACA recipients and different Dreamers,” he mentioned.
Biden famous that 12 years in the past, he, as Vp, and President Barack Obama introduced the DACA program “to permit our younger folks to reside and work in the one nation they’ve known as residence.”
Since then, he mentioned DACA has supplied greater than 800,000 Dreamers with the power to “work lawfully, pursue an training, open companies, and contribute their huge abilities to make our communities higher and stronger.”
“On Day Considered one of my administration, I despatched a complete immigration reform plan to Congress to guard Dreamers and their households,” Biden mentioned. “Whereas Vice President (Kamala) Harris and I’ll proceed combating for our Dreamers, solely Congress can present everlasting and lasting stability for them and their households. Congress should nonetheless act.”
On Biden’s new coverage announcement on Tuesday, Harris, the daughter of Jamaican-born economist Dr. Donald Harris, mentioned, “From Day Considered one of our administration, President Joe Biden and I’ve labored to guard immigrants, preserve households collectively, and increase lawful pathways to citizenship.
“Working with advocates and organizers from throughout the nation, we’ve rejected hateful assaults on immigrants, preserved and fortified DACA, elevated entry to reasonably priced well being care, and expanded financial alternative,” she mentioned. “Immediately, we’re constructing on that work by taking daring motion to carry reduction to an estimated half 1,000,000 spouses of Americans who’ve been right here within the nation for a decade or extra and their kids.
“They deserve our safety and must be allowed to stay with their households and contribute to our communities whereas they apply for a inexperienced card,” she mentioned. “Whereas in the present day’s actions are a big step ahead, extra work should be carried out to repair our damaged immigration system. That features the necessity for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.
“President Biden and I proceed to name on america Congress to affix us in performing by passing everlasting protections for Dreamers,” Harris added.
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