NYC mayor resumes demand that Biden expedite migrant work permits, points to Israel as an example

New York Mayor Eric Adams, on his second day in Israel, pointed to the country's policies of granting work authorizations to new immigrants on Tuesday as an example of what President Joe Biden should be doing when it comes to the migrant crisis in the U.S., now acutely felt in New York City.

Adams, who’s traveling in Israel until Wednesday, said during a call with reporters that addressing the situation stateside “comes down to the right to work — something you’ve heard me say over and over again in New York.”

“That is our pathway forward in America,” he said. “I was here (in Israel) a few years ago, and I saw the influx of refugees from Ethiopia, and now I’m seeing the result of their ability to work and their ability to incorporate themselves into society ... I believe that should be a symbol to our country, and I’m hoping the White House does see the importance of allowing people the right to work.”

According to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, there are now about 30,000 asylum seekers in Israel, many of them from Sudan and Eritrea in Africa. Adams didn’t cite any specific Israeli immigration laws in his remarks Tuesday, and a spokesman did not immediately respond to questions on the topic.

The mayor’s latest remarks on New York City’s migrant situation came the same day Siena College released a poll showing that 46% of surveyed voters view migrants settling in New York as a “burden” not a “benefit, and that 82% view the recent influx of migrants as a serious problem.

According to the poll, 58% of voters said New Yorkers have done enough to ameliorate the situation for migrants and should now work to “slow the flow,” rather than accepting more migrants and working to assimilate them. The poll also shows that 51% of voters disapprove of the way Gov. Kathy Hochul is handling the situation, while 47% don’t approve of Adams’ handling of it.

For months, Adams has called on Biden’s administration to expedite work permits for migrants in order for them to become independent of government aid more quickly. But Biden hasn’t budged on the issue, which is politically fraught — especially in the run-up to the next presidential election.

According to Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg, the most recent data in New York shows the issue largely breaks down along political party lines.

“A plurality of Democrats says that migrants resettling in New York over the last two decades has been a benefit. But, a majority of independents and two-thirds of Republicans say that migrant resettlement has been a burden to the state,” he said. “More than three-quarters of Republicans and 60% of independents say New Yorkers have done enough and must now slow the flow of migrants to the state, rather than accept and help assimilate them into New York, while Democrats are evenly divided.”

Since April 2022, a little over 100,000 migrants have come to the city, and about 60,000 of them remain in the city’s care.

To secure the permits in the U.S., migrants must first formally apply for asylum. On Monday, Hochul announced she’d commit $20 million to help facilitate migrants completing that process. That funding comes in addition to $1.5 billion already committed by the state.

Adams is at loggerheads with Hochul in state court over the migrant crisis, but has been careful not to criticize her publicly. On Tuesday, he praised her for the latest cash outlay.

“We’re going to continue to do what we have to do to prepare the right documentation,” he said. “I was happy to hear we’re getting $20 million in additional dollars from the governor, who is going to help us in preparation of the documents that currently the migrant asylum seekers need.”

Adams did not however comment on the recent polling numbers. And a spokesman did not immediately respond to an email asking about it.

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