Some of the asylum seekers are women and children but many are single men, the majority Venezuelans, who arrive with all of their belongings in a plastic bag or small backpack following a grueling trip that can last some four months

The Biden administration will allow almost 500,000 Venezuelans who are already in the US to live and work legally in the country for 18 months.

The decision is a response to pressure from officials in various cities and states, especially New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, urging the federal government to address the migrant crisis.

The move will benefit about 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the US before July 31, according to the Department of Homeland Security. They will be temporarily protected from deportation and can apply for work authorization.

The extension and redesignation of the so-called Temporary Protected Status is "based on Venezuela's increased instability and lack of safety due to the enduring humanitarian, security, political, and environmental conditions,'' the DHS said in a statement Wednesday.

"We are accordingly granting them the protection that the law provides," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.

Cities across the US have been struggling to accommodate large number for immigrants, most from Central and South America, who are trying to escape violence and economic difficulties in their own countries.

New York democrats argue that the influx of more than 100,000 immigrants recently into the city could damage its finances and social services.

Mayor Adams said at an event earlier this month that the crisis would "destroy New York City as we know it." He has become one of the strongest critics of the way the Biden administration was handling the situation.

"Our administration and our partners across the city have led the calls to 'Let Them Work,' so I want to thank President Biden for hearing our entire coalition, including our hard-working congressional delegation, and taking this important step that will bring hope to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now be immediately eligible for Temporary Protected Status," Adams said Wednesday after the DHS announcement.

In Staten Island, one of New York City's five boroughs, communities have demonstrated for two days this week against the decision to house some immigrants in the area. The Police department was called Tuesday night after a crowd blocked a city bus thought to be carrying asylum seekers. Ten people were taken into custody.

"There's more work to do as we address the migrant crisis," Governor Hochul tweeted Wednesday, "But the State of New York is prepared to immediately begin the process of signing people up for work authorization and getting them into jobs so they can become self-sufficient."

Immigration New York