Survey: 97% of migrants in NYC don’t have work authorization

New York City is scrambling to fund migrant housing and resources
WPIX says most migrants they have spoken to want to find work
A new survey says 97% of migrants have not received work authorization

Updated: Jun 6, 2023 / 10:45 PM CDT

(NewsNation) — Most migrants in New York City speaking to NewsNation-affiliate WPIX say they want to find work, but a new survey from the progressive group Make the Road found that most asylum-seeking respondents have not yet received work authorization in the U.S.

Make the Road surveyed more than 750 migrants and asylum-seekers in New York City.

Out of those surveyed, 95% intend to seek asylum and 97% have not yet received work authorization in the U.S. Of those living in shelters 93% say they have not been able to move out due to a lack of steady work.

More than 93% say they have not yet found a lawyer, reporting legal fees as their top challenge in seeking asylum, according to Make the Road.

This comes as officials in the Big Apple are scrambling to fund migrant housing and resources.

The city reportedly estimates it will spend at least $4.3 billion on migrant housing and care by the end of 2024 if the pace of migrant arrivals continues.

Some Republican governors have protested border security policies by busing or flying migrants to Democratic-led areas across the country.