(HorizonPost.com) – Faced with an unprecedented number of migrants being bused from the southern border, New York Governor Kathy Hochul in late January agreed to a temporary plan to change the requirements to qualify for state jobs to allow migrants to apply as soon as their work authorizations were approved, the Washington Examiner reported.
That state’s Civil Service Commission approved proposed changes during its January 18 meeting.
The governor’s office said it was working with state agencies to implement the changes that include waiving specific application requirements like proficiency in English and proof of a high school diploma.
At a press conference in late January, the Democrat governor explained that there were 10,000 job openings in the state workforce and that the temporary changes would allow the state to employ those who legally receive work authorization as soon as the authorizations were approved.
The program would be made available to non-citizens who are granted federal work authorization, as well as legal Green Card holders, and US citizens who currently do not meet the state’s basic employment requirements.
Hochul explained that getting migrants jobs would ensure that they are no longer relying on taxpayer-funded social services for support.
The governor’s office identified 4,000 entry-level positions available in state agencies, including jobs in food service, equipment repair, and administrative positions.
Over the last year, New York City saw a surge of over 60,000 migrants staying at shelters throughout the five boroughs at a cost of more than $1 billion to taxpayers. Mayor Eric Adams has estimated that the costs to provide housing, food, healthcare, and other services could in the coming years cost the city $10 billion.
Governor Hochul is one of many Democrat state officials who have called on the Biden administration to expedite work authorization for the incoming migrants to take the burden off of taxpayers in their states.
New York Republican state Rep. Will Barclay blasted Hochul’s decision to allow migrants to apply for state jobs, accusing her of “rolling out the red carpet” by “prioritizing migrants of our state’s citizens.”
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