BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Last week New York Governor Kathy Hochul revealed that more than 71,000 migrants and asylum seekers had traveled to New York since the conclusion of Title 42.
In response, several Western New York counties declared States of Emergency, saying they don't have the resources to help.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was outspoken on social media and said he would not declare of state of emergency in Erie County.
On Tuesday, he announced he has been advised an as-yet unknown number of asylum seekers will be coming to Erie County from New York City.
According to Poloncarz, these individuals are all legally in the country seeking asylum and have been vetted by federal authorities prior to arriving here.
Where they will be housed is still unknown, according to Poloncarz but he said he has been assured the costs associated with their housing, food, and other supportive services will be paid for by either New York State or New York City. Gov. Hochul previously said that SUNY campuses could be potentially used for housing but did not name locations.
Poloncarz said a joint venture between the Erie County Department of Social Services and five area resettlement agencies known as "The Refugee Partnership" is positioned to provide additional support if needed.
"It should be noted, over the past decade and more, approximately 12,000 refugees have moved into and through our area as part of the good work that the Refugee Partnership does, all without fanfare and without the ridiculous fears stoked by xenophobic and ill-informed community members. Some stay here and some move on but all of these people come here seeking to build their own American dream, provide for themselves and their families, and become productive members of our society.
In fact, due to the exemplary work of the Refugee Partnership, currently there are hundreds of refugees and asylum-seekers in Erie County from countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Congo, Ecuador, Somalia, Ukraine, Venezuela and more. These people are not a threat to our community and are only looking for the opportunity to pursue their dream of living in a free, democratic society. Our country is a light to the world and they have followed that light here to Erie County and beyond."
Erie County Legislator Jim Malczewsk previously introduced legislation calling on Poloncarz to declare a state of emergency saying the county doesn't have the infrastructure to handle the situation. He released the following statement in response to the county executive's announcement:
“There is no plan, just chaos. The County Executive has communicated nothing to us. He is not being transparent. An influx of migrants will impact our communities in many ways and our residents’ very real concerns are being ignored. We have a country that is trillions of dollars in debt. We have a community that is one of the poorest in the nation. This is not sustainable. We can’t effectively take care of Erie County residents already in need and manage this, as well. The seven neighboring counties in Western New York declared a State of Emergency. While they showed real leadership and willingness to put their residents first, Mark Poloncarz put a target on Erie County to become the preferred destination for this problem. The Legislature needs to pass my resolution calling on Mark Poloncarz to change course, declare a state of emergency, and put our residents first. This is a problem of the federal government and it’s time the President stop passing the buck. Address this immigration crisis once and for all.”
