AMHERST, NY (WKBW) — It appears there could be another transition of some of the 573 asylum seekers in Erie County from a Cheektowaga hotel to Amherst.
RELATED: Siena Poll: New Yorkers say influx of migrants is a "serious problem"
However, it seems not every community involved is on the same page with this plan.
This all started with the Cheektowaga town supervisor, who during a public meeting Tuesday night, said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told her the Dingens Street hotel would be closing. That is where some of the more than 500 asylum seekers are being housed in Cheektowaga.
RELATED: Governor Kathy Hochul tackles questions about asylum seekers in New York
“I was told they will be transferred to another hotel in Amherst, which would be part of the Sweet Home school district,” remarked Diane Benczkowski, supervisor, Town of Cheektowaga.
The Cheektowaga town supervisor specifically stated that 226 of the migrants would be sent to a Red Roof in Amherst and 48 children would be attending the Sweet Home Central School District.
But Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa says migrants have not moved into Amherst.
Kulpa would not do an on-camera interview with me but spoke to WBEN Radio Wednesday morning, saying there's a lot of misinformation out there. he says he was asked to "be ready", but it has not happened yet.
“And other municipal leaders probably ought to just stop speculating or even taking partial information that they were told and talking about because at the moment. The worst thing that we have going on in Western New York is we are playing 'three-card Monty' with a lot of people,” remarked Kulpa.
I did reach out to the county executive's office for clarification, and Press Secretary Peter Anderson responded with an email saying in part.
"We have been told by DOCGO and New York City that families with small children, no single males, will be moving out of the Dingens Street hotel and into a hotel in Amherst,” Anderson wrote.
RELATED: Reports of problems with company contracted to assist asylum seekers
The statement went on to say repairs are needed at the hotel and should be ready soon and families could move in by Friday.
“We’re asked to be ready for that to happen, but if it was going to happen, there is a certainty that as municipal leaders we would be told when it was happening. And where, and how and what,” Kupla explained.
The Sweet Home School superintendent issued a short statement simply saying that any school-age child, who resides in this district, is considered a “Panther” and is “absolutely welcome."
I have reached out to DOCGO, the agency New York has contracted with to house the migrants, as well as the New York City Mayor’s office, but have yet to receive a response.
