City Council Member Susan Zhuang submitted a letter to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO) on Friday, demanding more resources and outreach for Asian asylum seekers.
The letter, signed alongside Council Members Sandra Ung, Shekar Krishnan and Linda Lee, noted that the fastest-growing immigrant group are asylum seekers from China, according to a news release.
This past year, Asian immigrants made up nearly 25% of all immigration court cases and the city has one of the largest Asian asylum seeker populations in the country.
However, less than 1% of Asian asylum seekers are accessing New York City’s shelter system, attempting instead, to rely on family networks in Asian enclaves located throughout the five boroughs, according to the news release.
“Every individual that comes to our city to pursue the American Dream deserves to be given the resources to thrive,” Zhuang said.
The council member said she was disappointed by the responses MOIA gave during the joint hearing by the Committees on Small Businesses and Immigration which demonstrated a clear lack of services for Asian asylum seekers.
"Despite being told by MOIA that they would look into this matter and respond promptly, my office and I have followed up numerous times to no avail. For too long, Asian immigrants have been ignored by our city. This cannot continue. MOIA and OASO must take immediate action to support Asian asylum seekers," she said.
Council member Ung said when Asian immigrants first come to this country and seek assistance, they don’t typically turn to government agencies but instead turn to local community-based organizations.
"These are trusted nonprofits that speak their language, understand their culture and recognize the unique struggles they face," she said. "In turn, these individuals often lack the services and support they desperately need because they are not accessing services in the ways that are traditionally delivered by city government. I commend MOIA and OASA for their efforts managing this influx of new migrants, but unique communities face unique challenges."
She urged the city to work more with community-based organizations so no one is left behind.
