Mass., New York, Michigan, Arizona among AGs urging DHS to swiftly ensure new arrivals can work

BOSTON – Today, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell led a coalition of 19 state attorneys general in calling for immediate action from the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant work authorization permits for immigrants lawfully paroled into the United States.

While many new arrivals are eligible for work authorization, and eager to find employment, long processing delays have left many newcomers unable to support themselves and their families. This has also placed an increasing and unsustainable burden on states that offer support services to ensure these new arrivals do not go without food, shelter, education and medical care.

In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, AG Campbell and the coalition request “immediate action to ensure work authorization for new arrivals to help meet our workforce needs, conserve safety net resources for the most vulnerable in our states, and provide our newcomers the opportunity to contribute to the country in which they have sought refuge.”

“Like so many states across the country, Massachusetts is home to vibrant immigrant communities who want nothing more than an opportunity to work and support themselves and their families,” said AG Campbell. “I hope today’s letter serves as a reminder that government should not needlessly delay those opportunities. The federal government can and must act to bring much-needed relief to families, shelters and social service programs across the Commonwealth and country.”

The coalition states that while a significant portion of migrants have been paroled into the country and are therefore immediately eligible for work permits, processing delays have left many waiting for ten months or more for authorization. Wait times are particularly long for those who require a fee waiver, as they cannot submit their applications online. Of those immigrants who have managed to secure employment authorization, many have lost their jobs due to the expiration of their work permits while renewal applications are pending.

Specifically, the attorneys general are urging DHS to:

· Allow parolees who have applied for work authorization to work while those applications are pending

· Address inconsistent lengths of parole and streamline renewal

· Automatically renew work authorization permits whenever someone’s parole or other immigration status is renewed

· Make work authorization applications with a fee waiver available online to streamline and expedite processes

As a right-to-shelter state, Massachusetts allows eligible homeless families, including new residents, the right to placement in housing. Because of the recent influx of families whose work authorizations have been delayed, Massachusetts has had to significantly expand its emergency shelter system over the past year – and is currently housing families in hotels and motels.

Today’s call comes after Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency due to a rapid increase of families living in Massachusetts without the means to secure safe shelter. In her declaration, Governor Healey pointed to a delay in work authorization as a primary driver of the state of emergency. According to the state, there are currently nearly 5,600 families in state shelter, up from approximately 3,100 families a year ago.

In sending the letter, AG Campbell was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.