Expert: Work Permits Key for Venezuelan Migrants in NY

Jon Campbell, Gothamist, Sept. 22, 2023

"Federal, state and city officials say they’re committed to identifying Venezuelan migrants in New York City who are now eligible for Temporary Protected Status — or TPS, a federal designation that allows them to legally work and remain in the U.S., albeit temporarily — and help them fill out the proper applications. ... The hope is that Venezuelan migrants will be able to legally work, earn income and get their feet on the ground, which will in turn eventually alleviate pressure on the city’s crowded shelter system, according to Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell Law School. But even if they do find work, New York City still has a housing crisis that has continuously pushed rent fees upward.  “Even if someone is working, they may not be able to make enough money to afford a house of their own,” Yale-Loehr said. “But at least working gets them off the city shelter system and to a place where they might be able to support themselves and their families. So it's a first step, but we do need to do more.” "