Mayor Adams' Statement on President Biden's Extension and Redesignation of Venezuelan Asylum Seekers for Temporary Protected Status

September 20, 2023

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams tonight released the following statement after hearing directly from the White House about President Joseph Biden’s decision to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan asylum seekers in the country who entered the United States before July 31, 2023 — something Mayor Adams has been calling for since April 19, 2023:

“More than 116,000 asylum seekers have come to New York City since last spring in search of the American Dream. Our administration and our partners across the city have led the calls to ‘Let Them Work,’ so I want to thank President Biden for hearing our entire coalition, including our hard-working congressional delegation, and taking this important step that will bring hope to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now be immediately eligible for Temporary Protected Status. I personally spoke to the White House tonight to hear about this development and express my gratitude and support for this important decision that we have been advocating for since April.

“I am hopeful that we can continue to partner with President Biden to extend Temporary Protected Status to the tens of thousands of other migrants in our care from other countries. And I look forward to continued work with our state and federal partners to deliver relief for asylum seekers and longtime New Yorkers with a national decompression strategy and expedited work authorizations so those entering our city and our country can provide for themselves and finally have a shot at living out the American Dream.”

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