For this Migrant Crisis, Past is Prologue
David R. Jones, La Nueva Mayoria / The New Majority
To walk the streets of New York these days is to see for yourself the serious humanitarian crisis that affects several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, reflected in those men, women and children who have made the long and dangerous journey from their countries in search of a better future. They arrive at the Roosevelt Hotel, the main intake center for homeless migrants in the city, with the desire and determination to forge a new life, just as immigrants from Europe who passed through Ellis Island did many decades ago.
To wonder if New York can assimilate this new wave of immigrants is to question the character, history, and DNA of the city. New York was built on the backs of immigrants and will continue to be a magnet for those who find fertile soil in it to sow and reap their dreams. The question we really must ask ourselves is how to effectively manage this migratory wave so that its actors manage to insert themselves into society, become financially independent, and contribute to the city’s economic growth and recovery.
More than 118,000 migrants have arrived in New York since the spring of 2022. Most are paroled into the country by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and are eligible to apply for asylum. Unlike other immigrants who arrive in city neighborhoods where they already have a support network in the form of family or friends that facilitates their assimilation, these migrants do not have such networks and depend, for the most part, on the city to satisfy their most basic needs. The fact that they are mostly young migrants with great capacity to contribute to the city's labor needs should not be overlooked. There are many sectors of the economy, such as the restaurant, food service, home healthcare and construction industry, which would benefit from this source of employment. Connecting companies with job offers for immigrants and asylum seekers who have obtained legal work status is paramount. Still, migrants need assistance beyond finding employment to achieve successful long-term adaptation.
The Adams administration's solution so far has focused on providing basic services through a contractor with no previous experience. Instead, the city should take advantage of its administrative capacity through the newly created Office of Asylum Seekers Operations to centralize all efforts to connect the migrant population with the assistance programs and resources offered by city and state agencies, and available through community based organizations with specialization in legal, educational, labor and nutritional services. Through such an approach, the city would be providing essential logistical and financial support to a network of community organizations that act as support centers for migrants.
For recently arrived migrants, navigating the large number of services that the city offers can be intimidating and confusing given the linguistic and cultural barriers they face. Trusted community organizations with a history of serving immigrant communities and providing services in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner can play a decisive role in this regard.
The 11 Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Centers created by the mayor, as part of his blueprint to respond to the asylum seeker crisis, is the right step in this direction. The Adams Administration should expand the program to include additional organizations to match the increased need for this type of service for newly arrived individuals and families seeking asylum.
The mayor has stated that the migration crisis would “destroy New York City” due to the financial impact it represents. To be sure, these are unprecedented times for the city, and Mayor Adams is correct to demand that the state and federal government do their part to ease the financial burden on the city.
But this city has taken on tough challenges before. This latest crisis is an opportunity to renew the commitment we have as New Yorkers to open the doors of our city to everyone who comes in search of a better future. To do anything less would be unfaithful to our own identity and ignore the immigrant past that runs through our veins.
Let us not forget that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers can trace their descent to one or more of the 12 million immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island, between 1892 and 1954, after fleeing persecution, prejudice and poverty. That includes my own grandparents fleeing lack of opportunity for people of color in the Caribbean. If back then we had the greatness to welcome millions of people who needed our help, why can't we do the same now with these migrants?
David R. Jones, Esq., is President and CEO of the Community Service Society (CSS), the leading voice on behalf of low-income New Yorkers for more than 175 years. The views in this column are solely those of the writer. The New Majority is available on CSS’s Web site: www.cssny.org.