Many immigrants to the US are fleeing violence and persecution – here’s how the federal government can help cities absorb them

by Karen Jacobsen, Tufts University

Immigration has become a defining issue in the 2024 elections and a major challenge in many American cities. In recent years, wars and armed conflict, violent persecution and desperate poverty have displaced millions of people worldwide and spurred the arrival of thousands of people in the U.S. seeking protection, primarily at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Major cities such as New York, Miami, Denver and Boston struggle to house newcomers and meet their basic needs. Cities are looking for ways to support these newcomers – some for a short time, others for months, years or permanently.

I study forced migration, government responses to it, and how refugees and asylum seekers integrate into new environments. My focus is on humanitarian arrivals – people who enter the US legally as asylum seekers, resettled refugees, or under various temporary protection programs, also known as parole.

In total, the Biden administration has admitted or authorized approximately 1.5 million people under these programs since 2021. Cities need help to cope with these waves of newcomers. The good news is that with assistance, refugees and asylum seekers can successfully integrate into life in the U.S. and contribute more to the national economy than they cost.

Entry on humanitarian grounds

People immigrate to the United States for many reasons and receive different types of visas and treatments upon arrival. These are the main types of humanitarian admissions:

– Humanitarian parole: The federal government can allow certain groups to enter or remain in the US if it finds “urgent humanitarian reasons or reasons of overriding public interest” to do so. People entering through parole programs must have an approved financial supporter in the US. Usually they can stay there for one to two years and can request permission to work.

Currently, the federal government is admitting up to 30,000 people per month under a conditional program for immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The Biden administration has also admitted people from Afghanistan and Ukraine through other parole programs. In total, the Biden administration has admitted more than 1 million people through these programs.

– Refugees and asylum seekers: People who can demonstrate that they have experienced persecution, or have a well-founded fear of persecution on the grounds of their race, religion, nationality, social beliefs or political opinions, can apply for refugee status or asylum. Asylum is granted to people already in the US. Refugee status is granted to people who have been vetted abroad and approved for resettlement.

Resettled refugees and people granted asylum can apply for a permit to work in the US. After a year in the US, they are eligible to apply for legal permanent residence, also known as a green card.

For fiscal year 2024, Biden has admitted a maximum of 125,000 refugees. There is no limit on the number of people who can be granted asylum each year.

However, asylum seekers must appear before an immigration judge in the US, who will decide whether their fears qualify them to stay. U.S. immigration courts are heavily underserved, with more than 2 million asylum claims pending. Asylum seekers can remain in the U.S. while their cases are pending, but cannot obtain work permits for six months after their asylum application.

Where new immigrants settle

As has been the case since at least 2010, Texas and Florida are top destinations for migrants in the US, along with cities in New York, Illinois and Colorado. Counties where new immigrants make up more than 2% of the population include Queens, New York; Miami Dade, Florida; and Denver, CO.

In cities, many humanitarian immigrants find work in the hospitality and healthcare sectors. Others move to small towns in rural areas, working in long-standing migrant industries such as meatpacking, health care and agriculture.

People who come with the intention of staying are motivated to settle down and become part of their new community. But it can take time to become established, and the needs of newcomers can place a strain on urban neighborhoods that already face housing and employment problems. The months immediately following their arrival are the months when new refugee arrivals need all kinds of support.

Working with diaspora communities

Newcomers often move to certain villages or urban neighborhoods because they know that people from their country are well established there. These residents are familiar with the home language and culture of the newcomers and understand their needs.

For example, there are more than 40,000 Ukrainians in Rochester, New York, and about 134,000 in New York City. The US also has large communities of parolees, including Haitians, Venezuelans and Cubans, and long-standing diasporas of resettled refugees and asylum recipients from many parts of the world.

I view established diasporas as a critical resource for supporting new immigrants and maximizing benefits for host communities. By working with diaspora individuals and families to support newcomers, federal and state governments could redirect funds now going to hotels and shelters.

Boston, for example, has struggled to house large numbers of Haitian immigrants in recent months, forcing thousands of families into hotels and motels — an unusual and expensive practice born out of necessity. An alternative could be to offer cash payments or tax breaks to some of the state’s 81,050 Haitian residents in exchange for hosting new Haitian arrivals for a few months.

Diaspora households can provide information on navigating city bureaucracies, finding jobs and accessing banking services, in addition to the comfort of familiar food and company. These communities can be a tremendous help to new immigrants as they settle in and contribute to the city.

Such incentives could also target non-diaspora communities and people willing to help newcomers. A direct community support system, with built-in safeguards to protect both refugees and their hosts, would cost a city or state much less than paying for hotel rooms.

Faster work permits

Expediting work permits for newcomers could shorten the time it takes for them to receive government support. Under federal law, most non-resident aliens are required to obtain an employment authorization document in order to apply for jobs in the U.S.

Although the Biden administration is currently trying to move faster, these applications are currently taking more than six months to process. Once immigrants obtain work permits, diasporas and host neighborhoods can receive tax breaks or other economic benefits in exchange for helping them find work.

There are other things cities and the federal government can do to support new humanitarian arrivals. Banks could be encouraged to support refugee activities, as some already do. For example, Re:start Financial is a neobank – a technology company that offers online banking services – based in Austin, Texas, and founded in 2021 by a group of immigrants. It allows immigrants who do not yet have a permanent address or social security number to open online bank accounts for free with non-traditional documentation from their home country.

With sufficient support, newcomers usually find their way within a few months and become self-reliant. Using federal and state resources to engage host neighborhoods and diaspora communities in this process could ensure that everyone benefits.

Karen Jacobsen, Henry J. Leir Chair in Global Migration, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.