BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — The border battle is heating up once again in Erie County. A Republican lawmaker says he is concerned some migrants could soon come to Western New York without any information being disclosed to lawmakers.
“What I’m asking for is transparency and accountability. As a government official, I need to answer to my residents,” remarked Republican Erie County Legislator Jim Malczewski.
Malczewski fired off a news release Thursday morning and said he's learned through a media report that a busload of migrants could be arriving at a hotel in Cheektowaga near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. They are being sent from New York City.
“Is this the first batch? Is there another batch coming tomorrow? Is there another group coming next week? You don't know those are the answers that I’m looking for,” Malczewksi commented.
Malczewski disagrees with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz who announced last month that he welcomes asylum seekers to Buffalo.
But I tried to get answers, asking the County Executive's office if it has any information on what was happening.
I received the following statement:
"Erie County has no role in managing the transport of migrants by the City of New York. Aside from encouraging the City to contract with qualified local resettlement agencies, the legal transport of migrants is simply a business transaction between the City of New York and a private hotel owner, as upheld in recent court decisions. When and if the County Executive’s Office becomes aware of hotels being booked by New York City for the purpose of housing asylum seekers, we will notify the Legislator of the district where the hotel is located."
I reached out to Jericho Road, an agency that provides resettlement, who tells me they have “no confirmation” they will be arriving, but they say they are “prepared” if migrants are sent to the region.
I also received information from the mayor's office in New York City saying they were looking into the possibility of sending a bus late Thursday afternoon that would not arrive until the evening but had no other information.
“State lawmakers have not been directly involved in the movement of migrants from New York City to local communities? nor, really, have they been involved in the discussions,” replied New York State Senator Patrick Gallivan.
Republican State Senator Gallivan says he has heard nothing about New York City sending migrants to Western New York and is also calling for transparency.
“But is it right for people just to be dropped into a community, where the community leaders have not been talked to? We don't even know that the various communities have the resources of the leaders and the organizations in that community haven't been talked to, so that really becomes my concern,” noted Gallivan.
"The New York City mayor s saying he can't afford it and were going to send them here. What kind of assurances do we have that we are going to get reimbursed?" questioned Malczewski.
I also learned from the Governor’s office that New York City would be responsible for the cost of bringing any migrants to local hotels.
