BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — For nearly three months Erie County Republican lawmakers have been demanding answers from the Poloncarz administration about asylum seekers coming to the Buffalo region.
Thursday, they heard from resettlement agencies, but there remains a political divide over the immigration issue.
Members of the Poloncarz administration appeared before the Erie County Legislature's Government Affairs Committee.
They explained that more than 100 migrants, who recently arrived in our community, are part of a private contract agreement between New York City and a hotel in Cheektowaga, but there is no cost to the county.
Erie County lawmakers hearing from resettlement groups such as @JRCHCBuffaloNY on the more than 100 asylum seekers from NYC who are in the Buffalo area. @JRCHCBuffaloNY saying reports the state would send them into SUNY dorms has not happened at this point. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/pyEmlyUcSM
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) June 29, 2023
Resettlement organizations, Jericho Road, Jewish Family Services, Journey’s End, and Justice for Migrant Families came before county lawmakers to answer as many questions as they can about asylum seekers coming into our region.
“And it's a pretty moving moment to see very weary people, who have come a really long ways, carrying in the hopes that they will find safety or stability, carrying everything they own on their backs. For some people that is a plastic shopping bag and people arriving very humbly hopeful,” Jennifer Connor responded, Justice for Migrant Families.
But Republican county lawmaker Jim Malczewski continues to complain about a “lack of transparency” saying a financial burden will end up on the backs of taxpayers.
"The most common thing that I get from the residents in my district is this is nothing more than people trying to circumvent a system, in which there is an immigration policy in place. How would you guys respond to that?” Malczewski questioned.
That sparked a political debate among Republican and Democratic lawmakers who remain divided on the immigration issue.
Democratic county lawmaker Jeanne Vinal responded back, accusing her colleague of spreading false narratives.
“We are not being overwhelmed here in Erie County — that's a false statement. I think that there's a racial component to it. I think that there is a ‘fear-mongering’ component to it,” replied Vinal, legislator.
“I think there is just a lot of fear-mongering going on. I didn't realize how big that was here,” remarked Flor Salvdivar, Justice for Migrant Families.
Salvdivar appeared before lawmakers explaining how she has been greeting the migrants who've been arriving by bus.
“But I’m glad that I came here with more reason to shedding more light that it’s not true — sometimes these fake narratives that are being set forth are negative and they are meant to scare people — things that are not true,” described Salvdivar. “If the community is complaining. If the county is complaining, maybe it's because they haven't seen what kind of work we're really doing or what's being provided, but I think it's incorrect to say that resources are being misused or allocated to people who don't even have access to that.”
Democratic lawmaker Howard Johnson called some of the Republican comments "political fodder".
Committee Chair John Bargnesi says the democrats have been accused of “dogging” or “hiding” information, but they didn't have answers until Thursday.
“The skies not falling. These are human beings that are coming here looking for help in our community,” Bargnesi commented.
Resettlement experts say the migrants have the legal right to seek asylum in our country.
“They have the right to go through that process and to seek asylum in our country. That is part of our laws. And if a court, which is not too far from here, says they do not have the right to asylum, then our federal authorities will take action,” explained Meghan Maloney de Zaldivar, New York Immigration Coalition.
