State announces $20M to help with casework for asylum seekers

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State announced $20 million to support the casework filing process for asylum seekers looking to get a legal work status and live independently.

The funding aims to connect the state’s more than 30,000 asylum seekers with case management services to speed the process of leaving temporary shelter and filing asylum claims. Its part of the state’s $1.5 billion to address the surge in asylum seekers.

The program is designed to engage with asylum seekers from their first arrival in a shelter until they exit the shelter and become independent. Social service providers will include the state-funded Asylum Application Center.

The state says the funding is important for supporting asylum seekers cared for by New York City’s Health + Hospitals, Emergency Management, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

In Rochester, more than 40 asylum seekers are staying at the Holiday Inn downtown. The asylum seekers arrived in Rochester on Monday, Aug. 7 and are receiving housing, food, and medical care with funding from New York City.