Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Asylum seeker work authorization applications and OASO funding
2:42:17
·
150 sec
Council Member Diana I. Ayala inquires about the future of the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations (OASO) funding and staffing, given the lack of allocation in the executive budget beyond FY25. Director Jacques Jiha explains that the city is still assessing future funding levels as they transition to an integrated DHS system.
- Nearly 100,000 applications for asylum work authorization and temporary protected status have been filed since the opening of the asylum application help center
- Jiha does not anticipate service disruptions or staff layoffs during the transition
- The city is adapting to changes in the number of people leaving the system, which has recently slowed down
Diana I. Ayala
2:42:17
Okay.
2:42:19
At the preliminary budget hearing, Commissioner Schaeffer testified that nearly 100,000 applications for asylum work authorization and temporary protected status have been filed since the opening of the asylum application help center.
2:42:31
Assuming that OASO is coordinating all this work for asylum seekers with CBOs, why is there no funding allocated for OISO in the executive budget beyond the 3,200,000.0 added in fiscal year twenty five's preliminary budget and what is the future of the office's staffing if the office is closing starting fiscal year twenty six?
Jacques Jiha
2:42:55
Again, we are still assessing the future funding level for OSRO as we move toward one system with the DHS system.
2:43:05
So you know, we don't expect to have any impact on services as we move toward a fully integrated DHS system going forward.
2:43:17
But again, we're still assessing the future funding level needed for us.
2:43:23
So as we transition from the current system that we have with the HIRCs toward a fully integrated GHS system.
Diana I. Ayala
2:43:32
So you don't anticipate any disruption to services?
2:43:36
No.
2:43:36
Do you anticipate any cuts to staffing that currently staff that office?
Jacques Jiha
2:43:42
I'm not anticipating that.
2:43:44
But again, the level of service we don't anticipate that level of service to be impacted because DHS will take over whatever they're doing.
2:43:56
And we will see where we're going to end at the end of the day.
2:44:01
But as you know, Citi doesn't cut just, you know, lay off folks for the sake of lay off people.
2:44:12
We sometimes we assign folks.
2:44:14
We do different things.
2:44:16
But again, at this moment in time, we are assessing where they're going to be because, again, as I said, we anticipated a significant decline in the census, but lately there has been a slowdown okay, in the number of people leaving the system.
2:44:33
So again, we'll see where land the future, but right now we are not expecting to see staff layoff or any such thing.