NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A new intake center located at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan aids migrants filling out paperwork for work permits and temporary protected status, and delivers the applications directly to the federal government to be considered for approval.
The Asylum Seeker Help Center is the third of its kind in the city, providing space for migrants to receive help completing complex immigration forms.
While the centers do not approve the applications, the John Jay College location is unique because U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services are on site to process the paperwork.
The Department of Labor is also on site, to help migrants prepare for future job opportunities once they are granted approval.
1010 WINS/WCBS 880 spoke with Ann Cheng, Deputy Chief Policy and Delivery Officer for City Hall, at the John Jay College intake center.
"Generally our practice across our sites has been that we are mailing these applications to the federal government. What you'll see at this satellite is that we're actually co-located and they're taking in those applications and doing the follow-up biometrics appointment on the spot," Cheng said.
These biometrics appointments include having photos and fingerprints taken. Once these logistics are complete, this is where most migrants will receive social security numbers and their first federal IDs.
The creation of these centers was possible due to $38 million in funding provided by the state, and the city has already processed 16,000 applications.
The mayor's office has called the application process for asylum, temporary protected status and work authorization "critical steps on the path to securing employment and living independently."
"Anything that can cut down on the number of people that have to just wait for more than six months until they're able to work, we'd love to see more than that," Cheng told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880.
The creation of these intake centers is a part of infrastructure development by City Hall to aid the ongoing migrant crisis, with NYC currently housing 66,000 asylum seekers in shelters.
"For over a year, we have asked the federal government to put forward a resettlement strategy, expedite work authorizations for asylum seekers, and provide New York City with much needed and meaningful financial support," Mayor Eric Adams said. "In the absence of that national strategy, New York City continues to lead – building out the legal and resettlement infrastructure needed to address this crisis. We hope the federal government will join us in these efforts and finish the job they started."
