Get Involved
How State and Local Elected Leaders Can Participate
States and localities across the country know the immense value of welcoming people seeking safety and other newcomers. New residents contribute to the tax base, open new businesses, bolster the workforce, and bring cultural dynamism and new ideas that enrich our social fabric. But our current laws are making it harder for this to be the case for people seeking asylum, who are forced to wait six months – and often longer – to receive authorization to work.
While they are forced to wait, many local communities are straining to provide resources. Asylum seekers want to be self-sufficient and get to work faster.
State and local officials can help by supporting the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2023 (ASWAA). This bipartisan bill would decrease the mandatory wait time for asylum applicants to receive a work permit from 180 days to 30 days. The ASWAA is supported by elected officials across the political spectrum, businesses, faith leaders and human rights advocates.
There are many ways that state and local officials can be part of the solution:
Reach out to directly to your Congressional delegation and encourage them to co-sponsor ASWAA (send an email, schedule a meeting)
Write an op-ed highlighting the importance in your community about shortening the wait time for asylum seekers to get a work permit
Meet with other state and local elected officials to garner support for ASWAA
Build a state or local website that provides information about resources available in your community to asylum seekers, including legal services, housing assistance, healthcare, food assistance, and social services.
Contact Sarah Sheffer at ssheffer@refugeesinterantional.org if you’d like to get involved!
State and Local Elected Officials Speak Out
"In Boston we recognize the dignity of all of our residents, including those who are refugees seeking asylum and in need of work to support their families,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “That’s why I am proud to support the bipartisan Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act and call on members of Congress to pass this bill and let asylum seekers work!”
"In Aurora, newcomers arrive with a strong determination, fresh perspectives, and a strong desire to make meaningful contributions and succeed," said Colorado Representative Naquetta Ricks. "However, asylum seekers are currently unable to obtain work permits for a six-month period, which hinders their ability to support their families and deprives Colorado businesses of an essential labor force. H.R. 1325 aims to rectify this situation, getting people work permits sooner by reducing processing backlogs and removing paperworks burdens. It is time for Congress to act!"
“In the Cedar Rapids metro area, we see first-hand the incredible contributions that people seeking safety make, and are also hearing from our employers that they are facing unprecedented challenges filling needed jobs,” said Iowa State Senator Molly Donahue. “There is no reason why we shouldn’t be tapping into this community that wants to work, and has so much to offer. This bi-partisan bill is a concrete way to get people into jobs faster and is a win-win for all—that would help close the Govenor’s work crisis gap. As the ranking member in the Iowa State Senate for the Workforce Labor Committee, I feel it is time for our U.S. Senators and the Congress to pass the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act.”
“As a granddaughter of Holocaust refugees, I know the transformational impact work opportunities can have for families seeking refuge in this country,” said New Trier Township, Ilinois Supervisor Gail Schnitzer Eisenberg. “Our asylum seekers want to build their new lives in this country, support their families, and participate in the community, but they cannot do so without the ability to work. As an employment attorney, I am too aware that there are many employers who are all too willing to take advantage of the desperation of those unauthorized to work by engaging in abusive such as wage theft, paying below minimum wages or refusing overtime payments, and providing unsafe conditions knowing it is less likely that such individuals will complain out of fear of deportation. Our communities need workers, our asylum-seekers need jobs, and we can address both problems by passing the bipartisan Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act.”
“New York state is currently experiencing massive workforce gaps across the agriculture, hospitality, tourism, and service industries with thousands of jobs open. At the same time, we have people seeking safety in our communities who are being forced to wait six months or more to work,” said Assemblywoman Pat Fahy of New York. “Allowing people seeking asylum to get into work faster is not just the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do for New York businesses and our community and is why a number of my colleagues in the New York State Legislature joined me earlier this year in a letter urging expedited work authorization. We know New Yorkers everywhere, but especially our Upstate communities, will benefit if these newcomers can utilize their skills and talents sooner. Congress must act now to pass the bi-partisan Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act and #LetAsylumSeekersWork.”
“Isn’t America founded upon the principles of welcoming others?,” said Kent County Commissioner Monica Sparks. “For centuries we have ushered in many new people seeking safety from war torn countries filled with oppression. In West Michigan we see the value of welcoming people seeking safety every day. Our community is enriched by people from across the globe who have made Kent County their home—they start new businesses, bolster our tax base, and enrich our social and cultural fabric in so many ways. But there is a major barrier standing in people’s way to thriving: it takes at least six months for asylum seekers to access work authorization. This is a waste of potential, a waste of a needed labor force, and a waste of everyone’s time. I encourage the Michigan delegation in Washington to support HB 1325 and help get our newest community members get on the road to rebuilding their lives faster.”
“New York City prides itself on being a safe haven for people seeking freedom from violence. It’s not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing,” said New York Assemblymember Harvey Epstein. “We’ve seen how across generations newcomers have brought vitality, talent, and work ethic to New York, making our city one of the greatest in the world. Currently we have an outdated immigration law that prevents people seeking asylum from obtaining a work permit for six months. With the arrival of more than 100,000 asylum seekers who want to work, and a local economy desperate for new workers, this makes no sense. I encourage Congress to pass HR 1325 and get people into jobs faster.”
“It is clear and necessary that expedited and expanded work authorization would have a great and positive impact on the current challenges posed by the influx of new arrival asylum seekers here in Chicago,” said Alderperson Andre Vasquez from Chicago’s Ward 40. “The tens of thousands of new Chicagoans yearn for the opportunity to work and be part of our tax base here. It is the right and just thing to do in this moment.”
