Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid: No asylum application means no work permit. It is such a profoundly terrible decision to not allow people to work when they enter the country. The only reason for the government to keep this policy is to provide businesses with an unprotected, easily exploitable work force. 3/7

Texas started busing migrants to DC in April 2022, and Arizona followed suit that May. Many migrants who came on those very first buses STILL don't have work authorization. Without it, folks struggle to find stable work and are susceptible to exploitation and wage theft. 🧵

As cities struggle to house migrants, Biden administration resists proposals that officials say coul...www.cbsnews.com The Biden administration has been reluctant to grant migrants in New York and other cities legal status due to concerns about lawsuits and a spike in border crossings, sources told CBS News.

We have been welcoming migrants arriving in the District for 16+ months and the question we keep getting is - how do I get a work permit? Applying for asylum is not easy. Many migrants miss their one year deadline b/c they have no one to support them with the app. 2/7

No asylum application means no work permit. It is such a profoundly terrible decision to not allow people to work when they enter the country. The only reason for the government to keep this policy is to provide businesses with an unprotected, easily exploitable work force. 3/7

The Biden administration needs to fix this. In the interim, DC and other cities need to develop strong welcoming & resettlement infrastructure. Unfortunately, in DC, Mayor Bowser & her agencies continue to treat migrants like they're here temporarily instead of as residents. 4/7

Most recently, she blocked an emergency bill that would have allowed recently arrived asylum-seekers to get identification cards and driver's licenses in DC. 5/7

Bowser’s Budget Tricks Scuttled An Effort to Help Migrants Break Free of a ‘Kafkaesque System’...washingtoncitypaper.com Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen's push to help migrants secure temporary IDs is the latest legislation sunk by budgetary games.

Lack of identification was one of the four main barriers to stability that we identified in our policy brief, based on our many conversations with our new neighbors. 6/7

Policy Brief | Residing but Not Residents: The Lack of Long-Term Support for Asylum-Seekers in Washi...www.dcmigrantmutualaid.org In April 2022, Texas Governor Abbott began busing migrants from Texas to DC; in May, Arizona Governor Ducey followed suit. Since then, hundreds of buses have arrived from both states carrying close ...

Asylum-seekers face numerous obstacles at the federal and local level. In DC, NY, Chicago, Denver, and more, the community has been ready to welcome folks since day one, it is about time government caught up. 7/7

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