(NewsNation) — People who have come to the U.S. seeking asylum are turning to food delivery services to earn money, but in some areas, it’s raising questions about rules and regulations.
Around lunchtime, walk by any popular takeout restaurant in Washington, D.C., and you’re likely to see a dozen or more moped drivers lined up along the side of the street, ready to respond to a ding on their phone and accept an order.
Food delivery is providing a path to independence for immigrants who have recently come to the U.S., but it’s also creating questions around road rules and regulations.
NewsNation caught up with one driver, Samuel Bravo, who came to the U.S. seeking opportunity from Venezuela, a country undergoing a humanitarian crisis. He’s been delivering for Uber and DoorDash for about nine months and said the job allows him to care for himself and pay rent with friends in Maryland.
It also provides a level of flexibility a 9-to-5 job wouldn’t. Bravo said he’s happy with the money he makes, and it allowed him to buy a moped when he previously delivered food or by bike. It also allows him to support his family back home.
“This is a much better opportunity than working in a company, in my opinion,” he said in Spanish. “Because, for example, I have access to what I make every day. If I make $100 today, I have access to those $100 instantly. What if I have an emergency in my country, I have a sick family member; for example, today I had my grandmother sick. She has a problem with her arm. They had to take her out, get her checked and cast her, and today, I had to send her the money all at once.”
In recent months, with surges of asylum-seekers arriving in cities like D.C., sometimes bussed from states closer to the border, the mopeds seem to be everywhere.
The Washington, D.C., Department of Motor Vehicles told NewsNation moped registrations skyrocketed 164% in fiscal year 2023, jumping from 54 registrations in fiscal year 2022 to 143 in fiscal year 2023 and 85 so far in fiscal year 2024.
However, many of the mopeds don’t appear to be registered. Legally, mopeds require a license and insurance. NewsNation also saw several moped drivers using bike lanes, which is not permitted.
While cars and cyclists don’t always follow the rules of the road, the moped drivers have garnered attention.
One local elected official recently had a run-in with a moped driver who almost hit his new car.
“They’re driving haphazardly. There is no instruction or guidance even for the users on what they’re supposed to do legally,” said Chander Jayaraman. “I think that is an area we can definitely do better.”
Jayaraman said he has no problem with migrants who work for food delivery apps making a living, but they need to follow the rules of the road.
Bravo told NewsNation police met with some moped drivers Tuesday and told them they needed to register their mopeds by the middle of next month, which he plans to do.
There is also the question of who is eligible to work in the country. Most drivers told NewsNation they are from Venezuela, making them eligible for humanitarian parole, a program that lets them live and work here for up to several years.
But it is difficult to tell who is eligible to work or not, with stories circulating of some immigrants without work authorization using the accounts of others who are eligible for employment in the U.S.
Both Uber and DoorDash told NewsNation they do their best to verify people are who they say they are.