Hochul, Schumer weigh in on asylum seekers

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Seventy-seven asylum seekers arrived in Rochester Monday – and more are expected sometime soon.

They’re mostly families with young children. They were bused in from New York City.

There are concerns about the cost of taking asylum seekers in – and whether there are enough resources to adequately meet their needs.

Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer talked about it while at the Buffalo Bills Training Camp Thursday.

“At the federal level, we’re trying to get New York State more money that really deals with the problems we face, and that’s what I’m pushing to get to,” he said.

Making sure asylum seekers are able to work in the United States is another huge challenge. Gov. Kathy Hochul is asking the federal government to make it easier for them to start working.

Right now, asylum seekers can’t apply for work permits until they’ve been in the United States for 180 days.

Even after those 180 days, Hochul says it’s unrealistic to assume that asylum seekers can file quickly or properly. She says the work authorization problem is a “daily conversation” between her office and the White House.