Can undocumented immigrants get NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits?

Unfortunately, to be eligible for NYS Department of Labor unemployment benefits, you must be authorized to work in the United States. This is a federal requirement that applies to all states. Even if you paid unemployment taxes through payroll deductions, you cannot receive UI benefits without work authorization. The NYS Department of Labor will verify your eligibility to work as part of the application process.

You should look into local community organizations and food banks in your area. Many cities have immigrant resource centers that can help with emergency assistance for housing and utilities. Some churches also have programs regardless of documentation status. It's not unemployment benefits but might help bridge the gap.

this is so unfair that you paid into the system but cant get benefits back!! the whole system is broken

I understand the frustration, but the work authorization requirement exists because unemployment benefits are considered a form of public assistance. If you're having trouble reaching local assistance programs, I've heard some people mention using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to help get through to government agencies when phone lines are busy. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works for connecting with agencies.

Just wanted to add that some states have their own worker assistance programs that might have different eligibility requirements than federal unemployment. It might be worth checking if NY has anything like that, though I'm not sure.