June 25, 2023 - Last week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) announced the Assisting Seekers in Pursuit of Integration and Rapid Employment (ASPIRE) Act to give asylum seekers a pathway to safe and legal employment. Under current law, asylum seekers are forced to endure a 180-day waiting period before becoming eligible to obtain the permits needed to work legally in the United States. This delay severely hinders asylum seekers’ ability to provide for themselves and their loved ones and leaves many vulnerable to exploitative living and working conditions. With the increase of migrants in cities across the country, the ASPIRE Act would help meet current immigration needs by reducing the time asylum seekers must wait to safely and legally obtain work permits. Expediting work permit eligibility would also alleviate current labor shortages. Additionally, the ASPIRE Act would provide funding for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to help relieve the burden on workers overwhelmed with the influx of asylum applications.
“Asylum seekers come to the United States seeking a better future for themselves and their families, and reducing barriers to honest, safe and legal work will benefit everyone,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Right now, asylum seekers face a burdensome 180-day waiting period before they can to begin the process of finding work. I’m introducing the ASPIRE Act to create a...
The United States alleges that from September 2015 through December 2020, St. Michael’s Eye & Laser Institute (St. Michael’s) and Dr. Michaelos caused the submission of false claims for transc...