NYC's 20,000 Migrants Are Fueling the City's Underground Economy

It’s still dark out when the men in work boots start gathering by V&F Car Wash in the Bronx. They’re waiting along the highway in hopes of being picked up for construction jobs. The work is demanding and irregular, but it pays in cash and, crucially, doesn’t require work authorization.

The men are among the 20,000 migrants that have flooded into New York City since April, many of them bused from Republican-led border states like Texas and Arizona. Mayor Eric Adams declared a billion-dollar “state of emergency” and put up a tent city to temporarily house the influx of Central and South Americans that had overwhelmed the shelters.

A place to sleep is important. Finding work is equally urgent.

“I want to pay for my part,” said Rafael, 52, who lined up at the Bronx carwash on a recent morning looking for work. “The most important thing is that my wife and I can pay our bills.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/nyc-s-20-000-migrants-are-fueling-the-city-s-underground-economy/ar-AA13p0in