The migrants profiled in the article arrived in NYC by bus within the last two weeks. One of them specifically described trekking to the U.S. via Mexico and receiving aid from a shelter worker.

The migrants being bussed to NYC are those who have been released into the country by CPD as their asylum cases are pending.

They aren't here as tourists, and obviously not in the country on a school or work visa. An Ecuadorian national going through the conventional means for legally immigrating here (green card, etc.) wouldn't be selling candy on the subway while living at a city shelter.

Did they specifically say they are applying for asylum? No. But there is enough in the article to logically deduce that is how they ended up here.

Similarly to how every article about migrants at hotels don't specify if every single person there is applying for asylum, when it is pretty obvious that is the case.