Plans to move migrants from New York City to upstate areas have been met with widespread opposition and a number of questions. On Tuesday, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy issued a state of emergency and an emergency order relating to the resettlement of migrants.
McCoy says he felt compelled to take action in the best interests of county residents.
“We have to take the party affiliation fight out of this, it’s not about Republicans, Democrats, Working Family, Citizen Action, this is about people,” McCoy said. “And this nation was built on immigrants. So you know, they’re here, they’re legally going through the process to stay here, you know, in shipping them around the country in the middle of the night at two in the morning, is disturbing to me. They’re not cattle, they’re human beings. And we have to make sure that we treat them like that and get them through the process to make a successful life here in the United States.”
One portion of McCoy’s emergency order states that no municipality may make contracts involving the transportation of migrants to house them within the county without permission from the county executive. The Democrat points out that no hotel, motel or shelter can house migrants without a license issued by the county.
“The company that represents Mayor Adams, down in New York City was reaching out to our hotels and making offers to rent them for three years, one for the tune of like over $3 million,” McCoy said. “So the coordination effort, that’s all we want. We’re open, we’re accepting. We’re working with the Governor Hochul in her plan, we’re working with DSS [Department of Social Services] and ODA [Official development assistance], to make sure this happens. But I also have an obligation, I had to talk to the schools to act as superintendent, St. Rose had no idea, you know, LaSalle, we have to reach out to the neighborhood associations, and let the neighbors know, you know, take that fear away. Because when they see stuff and hear stuff, people automatically put up that wall. And they’re like, oh, no, not in my neighborhood.”
The state of emergency indicates the anticipated movement of migrants into Albany County would result in a severe housing crisis because of the limited number of temporary and permanent housing available. McCoy says there are currently 250 families in the county living in shelters.
Speaking with WAMC Wednesday, Democratic Albany County Legislature Chair Andrew Joyce says lawmakers are closely watching developments.
“We had our special meeting last night, which we had to approve some measures that were sent to us from the state legislature,” sadi Joyce. “And one of the conversations that we had internally was potentially moving money around in the budget in the county, you know, for the departments that are going to be on the frontlines of addressing all these individuals that are coming to Albany County. But we want to be careful. And one of the things that the county executive put out in his executive order is collaboration, collaborating with the state and federal government on doing this the right way and doing this the best way. So we want to make sure that we have that funding from the state and from the federal government, here to help us address this in a deliberate way.”
First District Legislator Carolyn McLaughlin, also a Democrat, says the county “can’t be everything to everybody.”
“We have to be forever mindful that we have issues, that were the same issues that migrants are going to bring to the community, we’re dealing with them right now,” McLaughlin said. “They have to be addressed at home, and with residents who are looking for those same job opportunities, who are looking for the same health opportunities, who are looking for housing opportunities. So let’s not forget who we’re dealing with right at home, before we add on to problems, or situations that just could compound the situations that we’re already dealing with.”
Joyce says the Legislature stands ready to assist McCoy to ensure Albany County is ready to execute a well-coordinated plan to help those in need.