Migrant Delivery Workers in New York Face Systemic Exploitation Amidst Legal Limbo

New York City's bustling streets rely heavily on a shadow economy of migrant delivery workers, many of whom are asylum seekers caught in a cycle of exploitation due to restrictive US immigration policies and black-market operations. A recent social media post by Pirate Wires, citing a full story from @_sagnikbasu, highlighted the precarious conditions faced by these individuals, who are often from Venezuela, Ecuador, or West Africa.

The tweet starkly outlined the situation: "In America’s biggest cities, migrants keep yuppies fed while liberals romanticize the hustle of exhausted African burrito couriers, ignoring the debt slavery that powers demand." It further detailed how these workers, despite lacking legal work authorization, navigate a system rife with illicit practices.

Central to the exploitation are black-market bike rentals, with riders often leasing mopeds for $300–$500 per week in cash. Delivery app accounts are also rented using verifiable IDs from citizens, with tips first routed to brokers before migrants receive their share, minus a "service fee." This system ensures a cash-only economy with no paper trail, allowing companies to avoid liability and the city to forfeit tax revenue, while workers lose out on essential protections. Many migrants are burdened by significant debts incurred during their journey to the US, deepening their vulnerability to these exploitative arrangements.

The legal framework exacerbates this issue. Under US law, asylum applicants must wait 150 days after filing their application before they can apply for a work permit, and an additional 180 days before the permit can be issued. This extended waiting period forces many into illegal labor to survive. The New York Times reported in September 2023 on Venezuelan migrants, like Mayco Milano, who resort to such underground work, renting mopeds for $400 a week and paying $150 weekly to use another person's Uber Eats profile.

Human Rights Watch's May 2025 report, "The Gig Trap," further underscores the systemic algorithmic, wage, and labor exploitation prevalent in the platform economy across the US. It highlights how gig workers, often misclassified as independent contractors, are denied basic labor protections, minimum wage, and social security. The report found that many platform workers earn significantly below living wage standards, with some in Texas making as little as $5.12 per hour after expenses. These findings resonate with the challenges faced by migrant delivery workers, who are even more susceptible to such abuses due to their undocumented status. The report advocates for proper employment classification, protection from algorithmic exploitation, fair wages, and universal social security for all workers.