Letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on Asylum Seeker Parole Extension

Dear Secretary Mayorkas,

We write to demonstrate our support and demand action on the urgent need for Asylum Seeker Parole Extension.

The United States is facing a pivotal moment in its long history of welcoming newcomers. Since May, we have all been responding to the humanitarian crisis at our Southern border as a result of the busing of asylum seekers all over the country, with more than 25,000 individuals arriving in New York. This crisis is caused by both our broken immigration system and the callous actions of the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, using human beings as political pawns by moving individuals and families by the hundreds directly to our state without any prior notification.

As we continue to meet the immediate, medium, and long-term needs of these asylum seekers, one thing would make a huge difference in families' ability to resettle and integrate themselves — the ability to work. Unfortunately, the ability to grant individuals permission to legally work is out of our jurisdiction, as state legislators. This ability to grant these newcomers the chance to be self-sufficient and to provide for their families, both here and in their home countries, is yours and we urge you to act immediately.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must extend “parole” for asylum-seekers from two months to two years and facilitate expedited work permits for asylum-seeker arrivals and those paroled into the United States. Moreover, USCIS must:

• Expeditiously implement the rescission of the Trump-era work authorization rules, including restoring the mandatory 30-day processing time period for asylum seekers’ initial work permit applications, and ensure all work permit form instructions fully reflect the rescission of the Trump-era rules;

• Process expeditiously asylum seeker and humanitarian parole work permits and renewals in the backlog of applications; and

• Streamline the work permit application process and waive application fees (or generously grant fee waivers) for humanitarian parole-based applicants.
   

We encourage you to implement the policy recommendations listed therein. This moment calls for a robust, coordinated response from the Federal level down to the local level – one that will meet basic needs and ensure that asylum seekers are able to integrate fully into their new location and are treated with respect and dignity. Ensuring that all those who are able to work have the ability to do so is a step that is important, reasonable, and completely within your ability.

Sincerely,

Brad Hoylman
New York State Senate District 27

Kevin Thomas
New York State Senate District 6

Anna Kaplan
New York State Senate District 7

Catalina Cruz
New York Assembly District 39

Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas
New York State Assembly District 34

Kenny Burgos
New York State Assembly District 85

James Sanders
New York State District 10

John Liu
New York State District 11

Jessica Ramos
New York State District 13

Zellnor Myrie
New York State District 20

Chris Burdick
New York State Assembly District 93

Richard N. Gottfried
New York State Assembly District 75

Anna Kelles
New York State Assembly District 125

Jonathan Rivera
New York State Assembly District 149

Linda Rosenthal
New York State Assembly District 67

Andrew Gounardes
New York State Senate District 22

Jabari Brisport
New York State District 25

Liz Krueger
New York State District 28

Jose Serrano
New York State District 29

Cordell Cleare
New York State District 30

Luis Sepúlveda
New York State District 32

Gustavo Rivera
New York State Senate District 33

Al Taylor
New York State Assembly District 71

Amy Paulin
New York State Assembly District 88

Edward Gibbs
New York State Assembly District 68

Jo Anne Simon
New York State Assembly District 52

Phara Souffrant Forrest
New York State Assembly District 57

Marcela Mitaynes
New York State Assembly District 33

Karines Reyes
New York State Assembly District 87

Harvey Epstein
New York State Assembly District 74

Michaelle C. Solages
New York State Assembly District 22

Deborah J. Glick
New York State Assembly District 66

Emily Gallagher
New York State Assembly District 50

Jamaal Bailey
New York State Senate District 36

Alessandra Biaggi
New York State Senate District 34

Elijah Reichlin-Melnick
New York State Senate District 38

Michelle Hinchey
New York State Senate District 46

Sean Ryan
New York State Senate District 60