The only county in western New York that accepts immigrants from New York City is no longer doing so after the county executive expressed concerns about the safety of the community.
Eric County Executive Mark Poloncarz cited two sex crimes involving immigrants in his decision to ask the city not to send immigrants to the county. Polonkaz said Mayor Eric Adams agreed to the moratorium.
In one incident in early August, an immigrant raped his partner in front of the children at a Buffalo hotel being used as a shelter, police said.
New York State sent in the National Guard to increase security at the hotel.
Two weeks later, an immigrant allegedly sexually abused a shelter worker at another Buffalo hotel.
Supervisors in the town where the hotels are located are considering legal action to have the migrants removed from the two hotels. Some immigrants have been diverted to Amherst.
“Two serious violent crimes allegedly committed in two weeks is one too many,” Polonkaz said.
In May, Polonkaz said it was “morally repugnant” to ban immigrants from entering any area.
More than 500 migrants have been sent from New York City to the Buffalo area.
On Aug. 12, shortly after the two sex crime charges, Polonkaz held a news conference to announce that Erie County would no longer accept immigrants from the city, and that the Adams administration had agreed to a pause.
“Unfortunately, we don’t think we can make the scheme’s current run sustainable without some significant changes,” he said.
Witness News has repeatedly tried to confirm with Adams’ press secretary that New York City has agreed to suspend its work with Erie County after the mayor said just last week that he believes every county in the state should help with the immigration crisis. They did not provide us with an answer.
Witness News investigative reporter Kristin Thorne traveled to Buffalo to witness the situation firsthand.
She interviewed several immigrants who told her they had only been in New York for a few days or a week before being bused to Buffalo.
Thorne also spoke with Anna Mungo of the Jericho Road Community Health Center in Buffalo, one of the nonprofits helping with immigration issues.
Mungo said the pause was necessary.
“I would say that for the first time now we’re completely moving away from reacting to the urgent issues that are coming up and trying to take control, we’re moving away from that and into actual case management where people can settle down and make their own agendas Scheduling, creating a routine of daily life,” she said.
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