And there are two moments in life, as I say to our friends in the media, there is a ‘I gotcha’ moment and there is ‘I got you’ moment. And some of the things we are seeing is really working against the people of this city. We received, last week, over 5,800 asylum seekers. While we are speaking with Washington and others to report that we are not having a crisis of disproportion, it’s just counterproductive. It is hurting our fight. And we are all in this city together, it doesn’t matter if you are a messenger or a reporter, this is our city and we should be clear on this moment that this challenge is of epic proportion and some of the reporting that is indicated we are not dealing with a crisis is hurting what we are attempting to accomplish. I am pleading with you that we should have a level of accuracy in what is happening during this particular period of time. Some of the reporting is not reflecting that and it is unfair to the people of this city.
5,800 people came to our city last week, those are factual numbers, they’re not made up numbers. And we are seeing the week before, 4,200. Just in one location alone, we had over 800, not only by buses, through the airports, through cars, through every mode of transportation, and our administration has accurately reported the information to the best of our ability to partner with the governor’s office to monitor and to address this crisis.
And to my congressional delegation, Congressman Nadler and Congressman Ryan, who are both here. Congressman Nadler, from the beginning of this crisis and our visits with him in Washington, being the dean of our congressional delegation, I cannot say thank you enough for really pushing to get the resources here with our minority leader in Congress and our Senior Senator, Senator Schumer, who with his coordination we were able to get $800 million in the omnibus bill. It’s unfortunate, out of the $350 million, New York City only received $30 million and those bordering states received in some cases more than what we did, and they’re using the money to bus individuals to New York City
This is what we are up against. This is a symbol of our nation, as the governor alluded to, the lady that sits in our harbor welcomed countless numbers of immigrants to these shores throughout generations. 1 million in 1907 alone, a million people went through that amazing island we call Ellis Island, also called the island of hope, the island of opportunity. That hope did not dissipate merely throughout the years and generations, that hope is still alive. And those who come here come here for one reason only, and that is to participate in the American dream. That dream should not become a nightmare when they hit our shores.
I think often about the dream of the dreamer of my commissioner of Immigrant Affairs coming from Mexico with his family pursuing the American dream and now reaching the point where he is in charge of those who come to this country. Commissioner Castro is a symbol of those who are coming here today and would like to participate in what this country has to offer. Our immigrants helped build this country. They helped generate the greatest economic expansion in history. Thousands of asylum seekers continue to arrive at our border, we see history in motion once more. And the history books are going to judge us based on our interactions and reactions on how we responded, just as history judged us on how we responded to our early Irish, Italians, Greek, Africans and other people from the diaspora across the globe. People are on move in search of the same dream that we’ve all had and we all are pursuing, the American dream.
If these asylum seekers cannot work, if they cannot work, it is going to be a major impediment and interruption in the pursuit of that dream. And that is all they ask for. When I speak with my asylum seekers at the HERRCs, at the hotels, on the streets, they state clearly, “We don’t want your free room and board and food and clothing, we want to work. We want to have an opportunity to provide for ourselves.” And right now we are denying that opportunity by refusing to let them work legally. It is creating an underground market where individuals could be exploited, unable to pay into our tax base, working long and difficult and dangerous jobs because they are living in the shadow of the American dream and not out front. It increases the risk that they can be abused. It is one of the major goals we must accomplish.
And so today we stand with our business leaders. We cannot thank them enough for what they are saying as they realize this problem is all of our problems. Kathy Wylde and the Partnership and others are stepping up and saying, “We are ready to hire if we are given the authorization to do so.” We have one message, let them work. That is our clear message that we are sending. We must expedite work authorization for asylum seekers, not in the future, but now. In New York City, throughout our state and across the country we have thousands of unfilled jobs, including jobs right here in Industry City in Brooklyn. And as the governor indicated, across the board, backstretch workers in our racing industry, agriculture, food service, home care, transportation and manufacturing fields all need labor. And the lady in the harbor right behind us reminds us every day who we are as a city and as a nation, a place of hope and opportunity, where people can get a job and do their part of pursuing and building on the American dream.
And that’s what I hear over and over again. They want to work. And they continue to ask the questions, the question they ask in El Paso, the question they’re asking in Brownsville, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Washington, and New York City, they’re asking, “Can we work? Can we work?” That is the precursor to sleep that allows you to experience the American dream. Without it, it turns it into a nightmare. And it would take us the action to fulfill this dream. We can do this by direct action by the executive branch of the federal government. Without legislation we can get this done. Republicans, as we know, have blocked all attempts at fixing our broken immigration system intentionally causing chaos and dysfunction. We cannot believe all of a sudden that’s going to change with the Republican-controlled Congress.
If we don’t get it done through presidential action, we are going to slow down the progress we need. So we are calling on the White House, the United States Department of Homeland Security to ensure our newest Americans can work lawfully and build stable lives for themselves in our country. Our leaders in Washington must redesignate and extend Temporary Protective Status, also known as TPS. And we want to be included those from Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Sudan, South Sudan, Cameroon, and other nations. Given the continuing worsening humanitarian crisis in those countries, they are going to pursue the stability that our country has to offer.
The federal government must also expand and extend access to humanitarian parole for asylum seekers already in the United States and processed at the border, as well as increase the number of United States citizens and immigration officers. To have the opportunity but not have access to the opportunity because of the lack of personnel is defeating the entire purpose. What we see happening on our border is not new, it’s a logical and human response to hunger, violence and political instability in other countries. In an ideal situation, all Americans will do their part. And I want to thank New Yorkers who have stepped up, volunteered, participated, and have done their part on so many levels.
Instead of putting the responsibilities squarely on the cities in general and specifically in New York City, we must have the responsibility for care to have the national decompression strategy that is deserved of this crisis we are facing. We must help our fellow arrivals to be a participant in the American dream. And I have described New York City as a city of yes so often, but that spirit of innovation and inclusiveness is foundational to this entire nation. America is a country of yes, not only New York City. Yes to immigrants, yes to new housing, jobs, and opportunities, yes to the can-do spirit that built our great nation. These asylum seekers came here looking for the American dream, a chance to work and build successful lives. Let’s give them a fighting chance at making this dream a reality. And that fighting chance comes with our business community and we cannot thank them enough for what they have done, as I indicated and as the governor alluded to. And leading that challenge on so many fronts is my good friend and a great New Yorker, Kathy Wylde, from the Partnership.
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