Violence. Political persecution. Oppression based on religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or race. Whatever the reasons that caused people to flee their home countries and seek asylum in America, they all share the same aspirations as previous generations of New Yorkers: hope, opportunity, and the chance for a brighter future.
Recently, these dreams have become more attainable for approximately 427,000 Venezuelans, including around 60,000 new arrivals to New York in the past year. The Biden administration has granted them temporary protected status, or TPS, which not only protects them from deportation but also enables them to work. This is a crucial step for these newcomers to start earning wages and establishing a stable life. It is imperative that this benefit be extended to all asylum seekers as soon as possible.
The extension of TPS will have positive effects on regional economies throughout the state. Asylum seekers will begin earning taxable wages, which they can reinvest in local businesses, services, and most importantly, long-term housing for community stability and safety. With an aging workforce and population decline in upstate New York, immigrants are not a burden but a valuable asset. They can fill existing jobs and create new ones to meet the needs of the diverse and growing communities. In other words, expanding temporary protected status will benefit all New Yorkers, not just the direct recipients.
We have already witnessed these benefits in action. About 400,000 immigrant New Yorkers are self-employed and have started their own businesses at higher rates than U.S.-born citizens. These businesses range from restaurants and specialty shops to healthcare services and food system support. The spending power of New York immigrants amounts to $132.9 billion, and they contribute $60 billion annually in taxes, according to the American Immigration Council.
Economically depressed communities in upstate regions have experienced the positive impacts of immigrant arrivals for years. For example, more than 16,000 refugees have resettled in Buffalo since 2002, leading to the city’s first population increase in seven decades. Similarly, immigrants have contributed over $1.7 billion to Syracuse’s GDP annually, just 130 miles east on the Thruway.
Immigrants also play a vital role in rural areas, particularly in the agricultural sector. As of 2017, one in five farmworkers were migrants, according to the state comptroller. Furthermore, the number of people obtaining temporary agricultural work visas increased by 32 percent through 2020, as reported by researchers from UMass Amherst.
Limiting TPS status to a relatively small group undermines the potential contributions immigrants can make to communities across New York that desperately need workers. Therefore, we call upon Gov. Kathy Hochul, the state Legislature, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and all our representatives to continue pushing the Biden administration to expand TPS eligibility to immigrants from other nations. These new arrivals, who have risked everything to pursue their American Dream, have just as much to offer our communities and local economies.
Through action, we can transform what may seem like a crisis into a success story, empowering immigrants to build new lives here. Economic opportunity is the key that unlocks safe, long-term housing, which serves as the foundation for immigrants to build a pathway to citizenship and success. New York has a long history of providing this opportunity to immigrants, and we believe we can do it again.
Murad Awawdeh is the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.
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