A resolution calling on the Erie County Executive to declare a State of Emergency as it relates to the migrant crisis was sent to committee in a party-line vote, with all four Republican Caucus members voting to act and approve the measure Thursday. The resolution, sponsored by Erie County Legislator Jim Malczewski (10th District), came out of concern about the lack of a plan and lack of resources to care for an influx of asylum seekers.
“The current confusion and unanswered questions about asylum seekers coming to Erie County is exactly why I called on the County Executive to declare a State of Emergency,” said Erie County Legislator Jim Malczewski. “Mark Poloncarz even acknowledged not having a plan. It’s not a solution and not humane to ship these people around the state with no plan and no known legal prospects. It’s backwards and it fails those seeking asylum.”
As recently as February, New York Governor Kathy Hochul recommended asylum seekers stay in their home country because the system was overwhelmed. In fact, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said this week he had spoken with Mark Poloncarz about asylum seekers coming here, but it was a conversation Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown had not even been made aware of. Earlier this week Mayor Adams asked the courts to allow his city to suspend its “right to shelter,” saying they can no longer house every homeless person because of the arrival of asylum seekers.
Although New York State and New York City have indicated they will cover the cost of the asylum seekers, officials in New York City stated just this week that the crisis is a fiscal emergency that could go on for years and that the money allocated by the federal government to help them deal with the issue, $38.5 million so far, doesn’t even cover a full week of expenses related to sheltering these individuals. Despite the fact state leaders say they will absorb associated costs, it should be noted that Governor Hochul is withholding eFMAP funds, the federal dollars meant to go to local communities to help pay their share of Medicaid. That will mean an estimated loss of $15 million to Erie County in 2023 and $28 million in 2024.
“Local communities will absolutely end up bearing the cost of some of this. It’s chaos. We have yet to be told how many asylum seekers we would be housing. Where will they be housed. If it is at SUNY schools, what happens when students return? How do we feed them? For how long? What impact will it have on our local schools? This asylum process lasts an estimate of 5 to 8 years,” said Minority Leader Legislator John Mills.
It’s anticipated the resources that many Erie County residents living in poverty rely on could be stretched too thin with an influx of migrants also relying on those services. Even New York City’s own budget director warned the costs of caring for these asylum seekers could well exceed the $4.3 billion currently forecast:
“Every New Yorker should be concerned about these escalating costs and the ramifications for potential service disruptions and the very real possibility that this may go on for years.” -Jacques Jiha, Director, NYC Office of Budget Management
Just this week the Homeless Alliance of Western New York reported the number of people experiencing homelessness in Western New York is the highest it has been in more than a decade. The Alliance reports that people are having a harder time finding housing and shelters are often at capacity.
The Executive Director of the International Institute, Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, told media outlets in February that asylum seekers aren’t eligible for food stamps or welfare or getting a job to take care of themselves. She added that it’s not unusual that people will wait five years for a response on their asylum case. With the lifting of Title 42, that wait time is expected to grow.
“The 7 counties surrounding us all declared a State of Emergency. Monroe and Albany Counties, communities led by Democrat Legislatures and County Executives, this week issued a state of emergency. This is not a political issue. It’s an issue of fairness, of having a plan in place, of having details, numbers, a financial understanding. We don’t know the implications. We don’t know anything because no one has told us anything. It’s frustrating. It’s wrong. It’s a bad way to govern,” said Legislator Frank Todaro.
There are agencies in Western New York that help with resettlement, including the International Institute, Jewish Family Services, Journey’s End, and Jericho Road, organizations that receive financial support from Erie County.
“As a County Legislature we have and will continue to financially support local organizations that do great work, but this crisis could exhaust our resources. These asylum seekers will need medical care, social services, housing, schooling, clothing. They will need to be fed. To date we’ve received no clear plan as to how this will all work, and no legal assurances our county will be reimbursed,” said Erie County Legislator Chris Greene.
“This is a failure of the federal government. Our leaders in Washington have chosen for years to turn a blind eye to a crisis on our southern border. Now here we are. It’s long past time they fix it,” concluded Legislator Malczewski.