The majority of New Yorkers support using land and buildings owned by the federal government to provide temporary shelter for migrants currently in the state. That’s according to a poll by the Siena College Research Institute that reports 56% support the idea.
The poll goes on to say that 59% support making it easier for migrants already in New York to get work authorizations, regardless of their current immigration status. Plans to expedite the process by which asylum seekers can apply for working papers have been championed by state and federal officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
In June, Gillibrand introduced the Assisting Seekers in Pursuit of Integration and Rapid Employment Act which would allow migrants to file for working permit applications 30 days after filing their asylum paperwork.
Whether Upstate or Downstate, the majority of residents agree that most migrants come to the US to build a better life with 69% of those surveying agreeing that the country should continue to live by the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
