Governor Kathy Hochul’s Controversial Move: 18,000 Jobs for Asylum Seekers in New York

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the availability of 18,000 jobs for asylum seekers. This decision comes as part of her initiative to connect these individuals with employment opportunities immediately after they obtain federal work authorization.

Governor Hochul has directed the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) to assist asylum seekers in their job search. The DOL’s career experts are now working closely with these individuals, assessing their skills, work history, education, and career interests.

The goal is to match them with suitable employers across the state.

To facilitate this process, the DOL has launched a portal for businesses to express their willingness to hire newly-authorized individuals. This initiative provides a pool of potential employers for the DOL’s career experts to draw from, aiming to align the skills of asylum seekers with the current needs of employers.

During a press conference, Governor Hochul addressed the issue of the 125,000 people who, until recently, were not eligible to work and relied on public support for housing.

She stated, “That is not a sustainable dynamic. It is just not sustainable in the long term, but we’ve dealt with it. So, I’m going to call on businesses to sign up even more.”

However, this move has been met with criticism from some quarters.

House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik accused Governor Hochul of incentivizing illegal immigration. In a statement to Fox News, she said, “Not even 24 hours after conceding that the border crisis is a national security crisis, Governor Kathy Hochul is back to incentivizing illegal immigration.

“She’s announcing 18,000 jobs for those who entered the United States illegally, including hundreds of jobs across Upstate New York and the North Country.”

Stefanik further criticized Hochul’s ‘Sanctuary State’ policies, arguing that they are exacerbating the crisis. She urged Hochul to support the Secure the Border Act, which she described as the strongest border security bill in history.

Despite these criticisms, Governor Hochul remains steadfast in her decision. Last month, she appeared on CNN, advising migrants to go “somewhere else” besides New York due to capacity issues.

However, she is now proudly announcing that the New York State Department of Labor is working with nearly 400 employers across the state to identify opportunities to help asylum seekers and migrants who have obtained work authorizations find employment.

This controversial move by Governor Hochul once again ignited the debate on immigration policy and its impact on American citizens. As the discussion continues, it remains to be seen how this initiative will play out in the long term.