Amid Chaos of Migrant Surge, NYC Lagged in Providing Essential Legal Help

A slow start in connecting lawyers to tens of thousands of migrants who have entered New York City is stalling work permits for many and proving costly.

When Anton arrived in New York City this May after fleeing his native Russia, he was eligible for a work permit. That was because he’d been granted immigration parole, a form of temporary reprieve from deportation, when he’d crossed the US border in Mexico. But he only applied months later, at the urging of a friend in his shelter. He hadn’t known he needed the permit – and then didn’t know where to begin.

Anton, whose last name is withheld due to his immigration status, is among the tens of thousands of migrants stuck in New York City’s shelter system because they lack legal permission to work. The federal authorization generally requires that migrants fleeing persecution first apply for asylum, wait 150 days and then apply for a work permit, which could take 30 days or more. The complexity of the process often makes it necessary for migrants to work with immigration lawyers who know the criteria for successful petitions.

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