NYC asylum seekers battle frigid temperatures standing in lines for ID cards, hospital care and more
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Asylum seekers once again waited in the cold overnight in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn for the city-issued identification IDNYC card, which they believe is a necessary step to obtaining legal employment, as well as to receive city services like public hospital care.
This, despite the fact that the IDNYC card is not needed to obtain legal employment.
Video from early Thursday morning showed asylum seekers at Dean Street and Third Avenue in Boerum Hill and outside the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan.
Appointments to apply for the IDNYC card book up immediately, but the office on Third Avenue in the Boerum Hill takes some walk-ins, so asylum seekers have taken to lining up for spots.
The city is discouraging waiting outside, especially during the cold snap, and stressing the IDNYC card does not facilitate employment.
IDNYC does not provide work authorization and does not impact immigration status. We continue to work to address any misconception around this.Department of Social Services spokesperson Neha Sharma
"IDNYC does not provide work authorization and does not impact immigration status," Department of Social Services spokesperson Neha Sharma said. "We continue to work to address any misconception around this."
The city issued 50% more IDNYC cards in 2023 than in 2022.
Meanwhile, in front of the federal building in Lower Manhattan, asylum seekers wait every morning for immigration hearings, a reality that has occurred since the start of the current immigration crisis.
Others have started to receive eviction notices from the shelter system and have to reapply for another 30 days, or 60 for families, and wait in line. City officials say the cold has meant a drop in the number of new arrivals, but families are allowed to wait inside at the Roosevelt Hotel, and single adults wait inside at St. Brigid's on the Lower East Side.
"By law, we have to find places for people so that they can be in out of the cold," said Anne Williams-Isom, NYC Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services.
By Thursday afternoon, the city coordinated gifts of brand-new warm clothes, toys and strollers.
"These donations are not from us. These are from New Yorkers who raised their hands to help, to welcome, especially the children, to make sure they're safe, comfortable and feel warm and welcome this winter," said Dr. Ted Long, with NYC Health & Hospitals.
Families have done their best to adapt to these unconventional homes, but soon they'll be getting 60-day notices and will have to reapply or move out of the shelter system. The city says enforcing the time limits is essential to cut 20% from its budget for asylum seekers to avoid cuts to other city services.
In other developments this week, New York City started imposing a curfew Tuesday on 1,900 migrants staying at four centers.
The centers are located in Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. Migrants will need to be there between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The change came after residents of neighboring communities complained of panhandling by asylum seekers.
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