Migrants in NYC Struggle for Work and Stability, Seek Refuge in Hotels.

More than 45,000 migrants have come to New York City since last spring, but finding consistent work is nearly impossible for recent migrants. Asylum seekers are legally allowed to work, but federal policy requires they wait six months after they submit asylum applications to get a work permit. Even after the six months have passed, the legal system is so backed up that the process is all but guaranteed to drag on longer. With legal paths forward closed off, migrants are pushed into the city’s shadow economy, working for cash under the table.