Gov. Kathy Hochul announces program to help Venezuelan asylum seekers find jobs and leave shelters
NEW YORK -- Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new plan Monday to provide jobs for asylum seekers, saying getting them work means fewer people will need shelter.
The governor says the program will be a double-whammy for New York, solving two issues -- employers who need workers, and asylum seekers who need jobs.
"They came to work, so let's put them to work," she said.
Hochul is determined to find jobs for the Venezuelan asylum seekers who can now get work permits through the federal government's temporary protected status program, TPS. She says he has identified 400 employers throughout the state who have 18,000 jobs that are available.
She said the jobs, accessible through a new portal run by the state Department of Labor, are in a wide range of fields, including:
- 25% Hospitality
- 21% Health/Social Service
- 10% Manufacturing
- 5% Retail
- 5% Construction
"Tomorrow, the window opens for people to start applying for TPS," Hochul said.
Once the migrants apply for TPS, they can start working in 30 days.
"That can help solve our problems, at least be a start toward reducing the number of people who need shelter in our city," she said.
The governor was careful to point out that getting jobs for Venezuelans is just the start of helping to get people into the workforce.
"I am hopeful and continue to press Washington and Congress to open up those work authorizations to more people, because, again, the Venezuelans is a good start, but it's not going to take care of the people who come in from Mauritania and Congo and other parts of South America and Central America, West Africa -- We have people from Iraq and Afghanistan, people from Russia are coming, because everyone is finding their way to that southern border," she said.
On "Face the Nation," the governor called on President Joe Biden to limit the number of people coming into the country.
"It is too open right now. People coming from all over the world are finding their way through, simply saying they need asylum. And the majority of them seem to be ending up in the streets of New York. And that is a real problem for New York City," she said.
The governor also called on Congress to double the number of border patrol agents.
