About the Ellis Island Initiative

The Ellis Island Initiative is a statewide coalition of New York’s leading labor, business, faith and advocacy organizations aiming to transform the state’s approach to integrating migrant families into our communities.

Over the last year and a half, New York has welcomed more than 100,000 asylum seekers who've fled violence and persecution in their home countries.

While this influx has undoubtedly proven challenging to local officials, the arrival of migrant families represents a real opportunity to revitalize local economies across the state, fill open jobs in local industries, and provide new opportunities for small businesses.

To meet this moment, the Ellis Island Initiative is convening leading voices from across the ideological spectrum to highlight how communities all over New York can benefit from a thoughtful, non-political approach to integrating new immigrants.

By putting migrants to work, filling these workforce needs and highlighting the resulting opportunities for local residents, we believe we have a historic opportunity to supercharge New York’s economy and address the top priorities of our local residents, including:

Reducing local burdens: Getting migrants to work will help them earn wages to support themselves and reduce reliance on taxpayer-funded government services.
‍Treating people fairly: Letting migrants work would treat them with fairness and humanity and allow them to live with dignity in our great state.
‍Opening up opportunities for local residents: : The multi-billion-dollar investment in supporting asylum-seekers is a major potential opportunity for local small businesses to earn business - for security, food production, construction, and services. Getting local businesses to get a piece of this pie can give a much-needed jolt to our local economies.

Our approach includes:

Support local employers and potential workers by identifying gaps in workforce development and job training programs to create pathways to quality jobs for all New Yorkers

‍Provide guidance for local residents and small businesses on how to take advantage of business opportunities in security, food production, construction, legal and other support services as part of the state's investment to support the new arrivals

‍Convene local business, labor, faith and civic stakeholders that will work closely with elected officials to develop common-sense, thoughtful approaches to integrating migrants safely and productively

‍Provide local volunteer opportunities to help integrate migrants into the fabric of local communities and serve as first points of contact with local communities.

News

We can solve NY's hospitality labor shortage by welcoming migrants to our melting pot

And when immigrants flourish, that’s who flourishes alongside them: New York’s communities. With spending power totaling $132.9 billion, immigrants contribute $60 billion annually in taxes as they reinvest wages in communities on housing, clothing, transportation and, of course, food.

December 6, 2023

In My Opinion: Why we should welcome new arrivals: A perspective from Lake Placid

There’s a lesson here: as proud New Yorkers, we should be welcoming the migrants who are escaping violence and looking for a safe refuge in upstate communities like Lake Placid.

November 30, 2023

Letter to the Editor: Finding practical, common-sense solutions to the Hudson Valley’s worker shortage

But one thing I know for sure: I would be doing a lot more business if I could find more workers. I am turning down two or three jobs a week – major renovation projects on kitchens and bathrooms or new construction – because I simply do not have the manpower.