“Simply by re-designating Temporary Protected Status to include recent arrivals from Venezuela, thousands of asylum seekers would have their legal posture drastically altered, for the better. The Department of Homeland Security has the sole authority to make this change. It could happen with the flick of a pen.”
Length of stay at the cavernous barracks on Randall’s Island will depend on the availability of other housing options, and the efforts of New York City officials who have pledged to streamline exits from the emergency shelter facility.
La ciudad calcula que unos 6.300 solicitantes de asilo han llegado en autobuses desde la frontera en los últimos meses. Además de encontrar un lugar seguro para alojarse, deben acceder a atención médica, hacer un seguimiento de sus casos de inmigración en trámite y, en algunos casos, intentar reunirse con miembros de su familia de los que fueron separados durante el viaje. Algunos han abandonado el sistema de albergues por completo, alegando motivos de seguridad.
After a two-month journey from South America to the U.S. Border and a two-day bus ride from Texas to New York City, immigrants who spoke with City Limits just wanted a bite to eat and a place to rest. “I just want to work and get ahead,” one recently-arrived man said.
For weeks, City Limits has been talking to several Latin American families who entered the city’s shelter system after arriving in the U.S. from southern border states. Mayor Eric Adams has accused Texas and Arizona of sending newly-arrived immigrants to the city, something governors of both states have denied, and the families who spoke with City Limits said they came here with help from nonprofits.
Adding to the calamity of having fled a dreadful humanitarian crisis back home, the growing community of Venezuelans in New York is experiencing a new dramatic obstacle due to the closing of their country’s consulate in Manhattan.
Some 9,600 Venezuelans live in New York City, many of whom were opponents of the Caracas government. It’s not clear whether most will be able to convince federal authorities that it’s fear of repression and not economic desperation that drove them here.
City Limits uses investigative journalism through the prism of New York City to identify urban problems, examine their causes, explore solutions, and equip communities to take action.
Founded in 1976 in the midst of New York’s fiscal crisis, City Limits exists to inform democracy and equip citizens to create a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation support, ad sponsorship and donations from readers.
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Support local, investigative journalism that has informed and empowered New Yorkers for 45 years.
