On July 12, Brooklyn Bensonhurst Council Member Zoe Wong, along with Flushing Council Member Minnie Huang, Astoria Indian-American Council Member Shekar Krishnan, and Eastern Queens Korean-American Council Member Linda Lee, submitted a letter to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) and the Office of Refugee and Asylum Seeker Outreach (OASO) requesting more support and outreach services for asylum seekers from Asia.
The letter mentioned that among the immigrant groups crossing the US-Mexico border, the fastest-growing group is asylum seekers from China. Last year, Asian immigrant cases accounted for nearly 25% of all immigration court cases. New York City has the largest number of Asian refugees in the country, but less than 1% of them utilize the city’s asylum system, preferring to rely on family support networks within the Asian communities spread across the five boroughs.
The four council members called for adjustments to New York City’s service plans to better assist these refugees.
“Everyone who comes to our city in pursuit of the American dream should have access to resources that help them succeed,” said Zoe Wong. Last month, she expressed disappointment with the responses from the Mayor’s Office at a joint hearing of the Small Business and Immigration Committee, highlighting the severe lack of services for Asian refugees.
“Despite assurances from the Mayor’s Office to address the issue and respond promptly, my team and I have followed up multiple times with no results. Asian immigrants have long been neglected in New York City, and this situation cannot continue,” Zoe Wong said, urging immediate action from MOIA and OASO to support Asian refugees.
Minnie Huang noted that when Asian immigrants first seek assistance, they often do not turn to government agencies but instead seek help from local community organizations. These trusted non-profit organizations speak their language, understand their culture, and are familiar with the unique challenges they face. However, because these individuals do not access services in the traditional manner expected by the city government, such as going to shelters, they lack the urgently needed services and support.
She acknowledged the efforts of both agencies in responding to the influx of new immigrants but pointed out that each community has its own distinct challenges.
“I urge the city government to recognize the important role of these community organizations and work closely with them. By partnering with these organizations, New York City can ensure that no one is left behind,” Minnie Huang said.
During a joint hearing of the Small Business and Immigration Committee on June 11, Council Member Zoe Wong raised a series of questions regarding Chinese refugees. She pointed out that last year, 37,000 Chinese individuals crossed the US border, with the majority coming to New York City, where she understood that 24% of Chinese individuals arrived.
Zoe Wong inquired about how much resources the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs invested in outreach activities in the Chinese community and noted that the number of Chinese asylum seekers this year was ten times that of last year. Less than 1% of Chinese refugees live in shelters.
Kareema Hussein, Project Director at the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, explained that MOIA currently only receives funding to provide asylum application, work authorization, TPS (Temporary Protected Status), and outreach services on how to register for the NYC ID card, obtain legal services, and understand immigrant rights in New York City only to those within shelters. There may be some programs covering a broader population, but she did not have a comprehensive list of services and outreach.
Zoe Wong called on MOIA to intensify efforts to help the Chinese community and pointed out that the current resources and outreach efforts were insufficient. Hussein promised to bring the issue back to the external team and pledged to provide more information.