It’s been nearly two months since a wave of migrants and asylum seekers came to the Hudson Valley from New York City. Immigrants rights advocates in and around Newburgh and Poughkeepsie jumped to provide immediate assistance. They’ve now shifted their focus to the migrants’ long-term goals.

One New York woman is challenging the new migrants that arrived in the Hudson Valley to think big by starting small, and is helping them carve out a pathway to do so.

What looks like a laundromat is actually a community hub of sorts, especially for Emily Kerr-Finell. But she isn’t here to do her laundry. The small business coach is the founder of BRIICO, a social enterprise that’s helping immigrants and refugees start and grow micro-businesses.

When Kerr-Finell heard about the new migrants who arrived in Newburgh from New York City, she says she felt called to offer support. The laundromat is where she holds workshops and coaches businesses in Kingston.

“We reached out to community leaders, and said ‘how can we help?’ A lot of people think that when people are brand new to the country, they can’t start a business,” Kerr-Finell said. “But actually it’s an incredible path forward for a lot of people, when they are microbusinesses that don’t require a lot of capital.”

In the U.S., starting a business is a legal way for most immigrants to make money. In most cases, all they need is to apply for and receive an ITIN number, which is what the IRS issues to people who can’t get a Social Security number so that they can pay taxes.

Kerr-Finell learns about the migrants and asylum seekers’ backgrounds and interests, then assists them on filling out the proper paperwork like the IRS forms to kick-start their small businesses. She believes this avenue is a really powerful way for them to gain independence.

“They come at this incredible time of potential in their lives, they come ready to work, excited to grow, excited to pay taxes, hire people, contribute,” she said. “And we found that everything that we invest in these people, they multiply tenfold.”

The education and tools she provides to the migrants, through the help of translators, is paying off. While getting a work permit can take many months in the U.S., this is more of an immediate way for them to start bringing in income.

She opened up about two small businesses that some of the asylum seekers are launching.

“There’s one group that’s starting a mobile car detailing business. And the idea there is they don’t need a location, they don’t need to rent a storefront, they can actually go to people,” Kerr-Finell said. “There’s another group of entrepreneurs who are doing custom mug printing for local businesses, and souvenirs.”

Kerr-Finell says she loves her job and feels inspired and energized every day to do her part in welcoming her new neighbors, adding that she wants the migrants to do everything by the books because she wants them to be a positive force in their communities.

“These are new Americans that are more patriotic and excited about the future for America and their community,” Kerr-Finell said. “They are already contributing in big ways to their community.”

Typically, an ITIN application can cost anywhere from $300-600 per person. Kerr-Finell is covering the cost out of her own pocket and is doing the work for free for the new arrivals.

Some funding for the work in Kingston is provided by the Ulster County Department of Economic Development.