MORE THAN 60,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS HAVE ARRIVED IN NEW YORK CITY OVER THE PAST YEAR.

AND AS WE'VE TOLD YOU, THE CITY AND THE STATE HAVE HAD A TOUGH TIME MANAGING THAT INFLUX.

FINDING WHERE TO HOUSE THOSE MIGRANTS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT AND THE STATE STILL DOESN'T HAVE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION THERE.

AT THE SAME TIME, LEGISLATION RELATED TO IMMIGRANTS CONTINUES TO FACE HURDLES AT THE STATE CAPITOL.

ONE BILL CALLED COVERAGE FOR ALL HAS GOTTEN QUITE A BIT OF ATTENTION.

IT WOULD ALLOW UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE TO GET HEALTH INSURANCE THROUGH THE STATE'S LOW COST PUBLIC OPTION CALLED THE ESSENTIAL PLAN AND WHILE SUPPORT FOR THE BILL IS GROWING, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE VOTES TO PASS AND IT'S UNCLEAR IF IT EVER WILL.

SO FOR MORE INSIGHT ON THAT AND THE INFLUX OF ASYLUM SEEKERS INTO NEW YORK, WE SPOKE WITH MURAD AWAWDEH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION.

[ THEME MUSIC ] MURAD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BACK.

I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

OF COURSE, ANYTIME.

SO I WANT TO START BY WRAPPING UP KIND OF THE END OF SESSION IN TERMS OF IMMIGRATION ISSUES.

I THINK THE BIG ONE ON THE TABLE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING IS SOMETHING CALLED COVERAGE FOR ALL, WHICH WOULD EXTEND A STATE-SPONSORED HEALTH PLAN CALLED THE ESSENTIAL PLAN TO UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE, TO EVERYONE IN THE STATE, REALLY.

IT DIDN'T PASS IN THE LEGISLATURE, MEANING IT'S NOT GOING TO BECOME LAW THIS YEAR.

THEY MAY BRING IT BACK UP NEXT YEAR.

TELL ME HOW YOU'RE FEELING ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW THAT THE SESSION HAS ENDED.

YOU KNOW, FIRST, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON THE SHOW AND I THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY INTERESTING LEGISLATIVE SESSION ACROSS THE BOARD.

NOT JUST ON IMMIGRATION ISSUES BUT ON A WHOLE GAMUT OF ISSUES.

AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING A MORE VIBRANT NEW YORK, WE NEED TO BE REALLY INVESTING IN OUR NUMBER ONE ASSET, WHICH IS OUR PEOPLE.

EVERYTHING FROM HOUSING TO TENANT PROTECTIONS TO HEALTH COVERAGE FOR IMMIGRANTS TO EVEN PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES, LIKE NEW YORK FOR ALL AS WELL AS LANGUAGE ACCESS.

WE SAW IT MOVE IN SOME AREAS BUT DIDN'T MOVE IN OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE STATE.

SO I THINK ON-- YOU KNOW, NEW YORK FOR ALL, WE SAW IT HAVE THE MOST SUPPORT ITS EVER HAD THIS YEAR, WHICH WOULD REALLY DOUBLE DOWN THE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC TRUST, SPECIFICALLY BETWEEN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THAT DIDN'T MOVE.

LANGUAGE ACCESS, ENSURING PEOPLE ARE GETTING INFORMATION IN LANGUAGES THAT THEY UNDERSTAND.

WE SAW IT PASS IN THE SENATE AND NOT MOVE IN THE ASSEMBLY.

WE SAW COVERAGE FOR ALL, RIGHT, WE SAW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAME BACK AND SAID, YOU KNOW, IF THE STATE WANTED TO FRANCHISE IMMIGRANTS WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK TO ACCESS OUR STATE EXCHANGE PROGRAM THAT THEY SHOULD DO THAT AND THAT THEY HAVE-- THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO SO.

SO I THINK FOR US SEEING THE GRIDLOCK ON MOVING SOME OF THESE PIECES AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT DOES REAL RECOVERY LOOK LIKE FOR THE STATE AND HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE'RE BUILDING A STATE FOR ALL IS A PRIORITY FOR US, RIGHT?

AND MOVING THAT FORWARD REGARDLESS OF, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER POTENTIAL WAVE OF ANTI-SENTIMENT COME UP, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT POLITICAL COURAGE THAT WE SEE NEW YORK HAVE TIME AND AGAIN, CONTINUE TO SHINE HERE.

YOU KNOW, ON COVERAGE FOR ALL, THERE SEEMS TO BE A MISUNDERSTANDING OR DISAGREEMENT OVER THE COST OF WHAT THE PROGRAM WOULD BE.

SO AS YOU SAID, SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA WOULD IS THE CHAIR IN THE SENATE, HAD WROTE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASKING BASICALLY IF FEDERAL FUNDS TO PAY FOR THIS THROUGH A PASS-THROUGH METHOD.

IT'S A COMPLICATED THING, BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAME BACK AND SAID YES.

FEDERAL FUNDS COULD PAY FOR THIS THE HOCHUL ADMINISTRATION SEEMS TO BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT'S NOT TRUE, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SOME SORT OF START-UP, RAMP-UP COSTS SOMEWHERE IN THE BILLIONS.

SO IS THERE ANY CLARITY THERE ON WHAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE?

WOULD THE STATE HAVE TO PAY TO START UP THE PROGRAM AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD PAY FOR IT, OR IS THERE MISINFORMATION OUT THERE?

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN THIS MOMENT, AND FIRST, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE A STATE EXCHANGE PROGRAM HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WE END UP GETTING A SURPLUS.

THAT SURPLUS NEEDS TO BE REINVESTED BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW CAN THIS BE PAID FOR, MONEYS FROM THAT SURPLUS CAN ALSO PAY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND RUNNING OF THE PROGRAM AND I THINK THAT THERE IS MISALIGNMENT OF SORTS ON WHAT RAMP-UP COSTS WILL BE FOR YEARS COMING OUT, RIGHT?

I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN DISCUSS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I THINK THAT IT CAME UP VERY TOWARD THE END OF SESSION AND EVEN IN EXTENSION, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO ACTUALLY DO THE DUE DILIGENCE.

I THINK FOR THE STATE TO ACTUALLY GET ITS NUMBERS IN ORDER, RIGHT, AND I THINK FOR US, WE HAD CONSISTENT NUMBERS OF WHAT WE THINK UPTICK WOULD BE, WHAT SIGNUP WOULD BE AND WHAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE.

I THINK OUR RATE WAS ABOUT $1.2 BILLION AND THAT WOULD BE MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WE'RE ALREADY GOING TO BE RECEIVING AND JUST ALLOCATING IN THIS WAY.

SO I THINK FOR US, WE'LL GO BACK IT TO NEXT YEAR AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR IT AND ENSURE THAT WE JUST CAME OUT OF THE WORST GLOBAL PANDEMICS THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN IN OUR HISTORY, OF OUR EXISTENCE, AND I THINK, IF ANYTHING, WE CAME OUT OF THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE ONLY AS HEALTHY AS OUR NEIGHBOR IS AND WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE ABILITY AND ACCESS TO HEALTH COVERAGE AS WELL AS HEALTH INSURANCE.

YOU KNOW, THERE IS GROWING SUPPORT FOR THIS IN THE LEGISLATURE.

I SHOULD NOTE THAT.

IT ISN'T STAGNANT.

IT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DEAD ON ARRIVAL.

IT JUST SEEMED TO BE THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO COME TO A CONSENSUS ON IT THIS YEAR.

NEXT YEAR IS AN ELECTION YEAR FOR THE LEGISLATURE.

DOES THAT WORRY YOU AT ALL IN TERMS OF MAKING PROGRESS NEXT YEAR TO GET THIS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE?

THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY WANT TO VOTE AGAINST IT OR NOT GIVE THEIR SUPPORT FOR POLITICAL REASONS.

YOU KNOW, IN MY EYES EVERY YEAR IS AN ELECTION YEAR, AND I THINK THAT FOR US, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THE SUPPORT THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE, AND EXPAND FURTHER OUT TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE GETTING THE SUPPORTS AND THE RIGHTS THAT THEY DESERVE, THAT EVERY NEW YORKER DESERVES, THE RIGHT TO ACCESS TO HEALTH COVERAGE, THE RIGHT TO ENSURE THAT THEY-- IF THEY FEEL SICK THAT THEY CAN GO TO THEIR DOCTOR.

COVERAGE FOR ALL IS ACTUALLY A HUGE MONEY SAVER.

IT WILL SAVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE STATE IN GENERAL IF PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET HEALTH INSURANCE.

SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE.

I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT IT BEING AN ELECTION YEAR.

I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT AND FIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SO LET'S SWITCH TO TALKING ABOUT THE ASYLUM SEEKERS.

THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME FROM A COUPLE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES UP TO NEW YORK.

THEY WERE PRIMARILY, I THINK, TRAVELING FROM OTHER STATES, SOME GOVERNORS SENT THEM TO NEW YORK FROM OTHER STATES.

NOW THEY'RE HERE AND THEY WANT TO SETTLE IN THE U.S. FOR ASYLUM, OBVIOUSLY BASED ON THE NAME.

FIRST, I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS HAS BEEN A SITUATION THAT'S BEEN KIND OF AN ONGOING SITUATION OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE STATE AND THE CITY HAVE HANDLED IT SO FAR?

NEW YORK CITY HAS WELCOMED I THINK AT THIS RATE OVER THE PAST YEAR OVER 100,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE RECENT ARRIVALS, PEOPLE WHO ARE FLEEING THEIR HOME COUNTRIES BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION OR VIOLENCE OR GOVERNMENT COLLAPSE.

WE'RE SEEING FOLKS COMING IN OFTEN, RIGHT, AND WE'RE SEEING THEM SEEKING SAFETY AND REFUGE.

THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.

WE HAVE A STATUE OF LIBERTY IN OUR HARBOR HERE IN NEW YORK, AND OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE HAVE BEEN REVITALIZED BY THE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITY.

I THINK THAT TO THE CITY'S CREDIT, THEY STEPPED UP IN CERTAIN RESPECTS AND HAVE NOT STEPPED UP IN OTHER RESPECTS.

YOU KNOW, WE SAW ONE OF OUR BIGGEST DEMANDS IN THE BEGINNING WHEN WE STARTED GETTING BUSES FROM TEXAS IS ASKING THE MAYOR TO ISSUE EMERGENCY LEGAL SERVICES RESOURCES SO WE CAN GET PEOPLE THE LEGAL SERVICES RESOURCES THAT THEY NEEDED BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S A BACKLOG IN THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM.

SO THE LONGER IT TAKES TO US GET PEOPLE THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED, THE LONGER IT'S GOING TO TAKE FOR THEM TO GET ON THEIR FEET ON THEIR OWN.

SO JUST RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST WEEK, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'RE DOING LIKE AN EMERGENCY INVESTMENT IN LEGAL SERVICES TO MOVE PEOPLE'S APPLICATIONS FORWARD, WHICH IS A GREAT FIRST STEP.

WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S MORE RESOURCES AND REPRESENTATION FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO NEED THAT.

THIS IS JUST STEP ONE OF A VERY LONG, TEDIOUS PROCESS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE SAW THE STATE BUDGET ACTUALLY COME THROUGH AND DELIVER OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN RESOURCES TO SUPPORT RECENT ARRIVALS AS WELL AS NEARLY QUADRUPLING OUR IMMIGRATION AND LEGAL SERVICES DOLLARS THAT ARE STATEWIDE.

SO THE STATE IS STEPPING UP.

THE CITY IS AS WELL, BUT THERE'S MORE HICCUPS THAN NOT HICCUPS IN THE CITY, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVING THEM CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE, THEY DID EXPAND EMERGENCY SHELTER.

THEY DID, YOU KNOW, TRY TO PARTNER WITH FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS WERE AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE BUT EVEN IN THAT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY COLLABORATING THAT WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY PLANNING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS, RIGHT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE SELF-SUSTAINING THAT THEY GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO GET ON THEIR OWN FEET AND MOVE FORWARD IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST NEEDS OF THESE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW AND FOREVER IS GOING TO BE HOUSING.

YOU KNOW, THEY TRAVELED HERE AND NEW YORK CITY SAYS IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH BEDS FOR THESE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.

SO THEY'VE BEEN SENDING HEM TO SOME COUNTIES UPSTATE ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS, I SHOULD SAY.

THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED ACROSS THE STATE.

THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISAGREEMENT OVER THAT BY CERTAIN OFFICIALS.

WE SAW SOME POLLING SAY THAT NEW YORK VOTERS DON'T WANT THEM HOUSED AT SUNY DORMS AND POSSIBLY DON'T WANT THEM HOUSED IN OTHER COUNTIES AS WELL.

WHAT DO YOU SEE IS THE IDEAL SITUATION IN TERMS OF HOUSING?

HOW SHOULD WE HOUSE THESE PEOPLE AS THEY AWAIT FOR THE ASYLUM PROCESS TO GO?

WELL, JUST TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE ADULTS AND ADULT COUPLES AND SINGLES WHO HAVE ENTERED NEW YORK CITY SHELTER SYSTEM END UP LEAVING WITHIN 30 TO 45 DAYS BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET WORK IN THE INFORMAL ECONOMY AND FIND THEIR OWN ROOM OR SHARE AN APARTMENT OR GET THEIR OWN APARTMENT.

THAT'S ALREADY MOVING.

I THINK THE CHALLENGE HERE IS AS IT IS WITH HISTORICALLY UNHOUSED FAMILIES, IT TAKES FAMILIES A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE SUPPORT TO GET OUT OF THE SHELTER IS AS EMIT.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS BEING THE REAL TENSION HERE IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE AT THIS RATE NEW YORK CITY HAS OVER 176 HOTELS, OVER 10 HUMANITARIAN RELIEF CENTERS, AND WE'RE SEEING FOLKS LEAVE IN THE 30 TO 45 DAYS BUT ALSO MORE PEOPLE COMING IN, AND I THINK WITH THE STATEWIDE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM, WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO AND LIVE IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR STATE.

I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS, AGAIN, HAD A HICCUP IN THAT REGARD, RIGHT, AND NOT COORDINATING AND PLANNING BETTER.

AND REALLY ENSURING THAT WE'RE BUILDING THE TRUST THAT WE NEED TO WITH OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

SO I THINK FOR THE CITY IN THIS MOMENT, WE REALLY NEED TO BE INVESTING ACTUALLY IN GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF SHELTER AND INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

THIS ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AVAILABLE APT MANIES.

PEOPLE JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HAD INTO GET INTO THEM.

WE NEED TO ROLL OUT A MORE EXPEDITED CITY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO LEAVE THE SHELTER AND START WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE THE LONGEST, RIGHT?

THESE ARE HISTORICALLY UNHOUSED FOLKS IN NEW YORK AND FOR FAMILIES, IT ACTUALLY TAKE THESE TO FOUR YEARS TO GET OUT OF THE SHELTER SYSTEM IN NEW YORK CITY.

ON A STATEWIDE LEVEL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HOUSING VOUCHERS AS WELL.

WE DIDN'T SEE THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE VOUCHER PROGRAM MOVE IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE EITHER THIS PAST SESSION, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT GETS DONE IN THE COMING YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING FOLKS NEEDING SUPPORT TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES.

YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE?

JUST BECAUSE THE ASYLUM PROCESS IS NOT A SHORT ONE.

SO A LOT OF THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS WILL BE WAITING A LONG TIME TO HAVE A DECISION ON THEIR APPLICATION.

IS THERE HE INNING ELSE YOU THINK THE STATE OR THE CITY SHOULD BE DOING AS THIS LONG PERIOD GOES ON TO SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE?

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO-- THIS IS NOT A NEW POPULATION TO THE CITY OR THE STATE.

IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN COMING TO NEW YORK FOR CENTURIES.

WE'VE WELCOMED PEOPLE FROM EUROPE, FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, FROM AFRICA, FROM ASIA AND BEYOND, AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, EVEN TO THIS DAY.

I THINK FOR US, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING KEY INVESTMENTS MADE IN PEOPLE'S ABILITY FOR UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY, FOR ALL NEW YORKERS REGARDLESS IF THEY'VE BEEN HERE 50 YEARS OR 50 DAYS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU ARE A NEW YORKER THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE SUPPORTS THAT YOU NEED.

AND ONE THING THAT WITH THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK IS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY RESILIENT.

THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST MOMENTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN THIS SORT OF RELIANCE ON GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, BUT THIS IS NOT THE USUAL.

WE'VE SEEN OUR COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY STAND UP AND CONTINUE TO BE THE ECONOMIC BACK BONES OF LOCAL ECONOMIES ACROSS THE STATE AND THAT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.

THIS IS A GOOD THING.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY AND THE STATE TO ACTUALLY GET ITS WORKFORCE NEEDS MET AND ALSO DO THE RIGHT THING IN ENSURING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE OUR STATE FORWARD.

ALL RIGHT, MURAD AWAWDEH FROM THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

[ THEME MUSIC ] AND ANOTHER BIG OBSTACLE FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS IS EMPLOYMENT.

THE STATE WANTS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO FAST TRACK WORK AUTHORIZATION FOR THOSE MIGRANTS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO RELY SOLELY ON THE GOVERNMENT FOR BASIC NEEDS, LIKE HOUSING AND FOOD.

SO FAR NOTHING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ON THAT.