BUFFALO, N.Y. — The 44 migrants who were housed at Buffalo State University under a publicly undisclosed agreement with the Jericho Road Resettlement Agency have moved out with more uncertainty for them.
Buffalo State Interim President Dr. Bonita Durand said Monday evening, "We are pleased to learn from Jericho Road that it has identified housing for its clients who were provided temporary accommodation by Buffalo State University. Jericho Road delivers an important service to this region. We are proud to collaborate with and support an organization that shares in our mission of service, and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion."
But neither Buffalo State's leadership nor the CEO of Jericho Road were available to speak with reporters during the day so we talked with Meghan Maloney de Zaldivar of the New York Immigration Coalition who had some knowledge of the situation.
Zaldivar said, "I think it's incredibly disappointing that Buff State took such quick and drastic actions when they had a really good working relationship with Jericho Road. My understanding is they had been in talks to extend and do a new agreement until February. And so like you said in any business agreement going into those discussions in good faith and that was what we had heard from Jericho Road was - things were looking good. Of course, you don't have any confirmation until it's signed but the short notice was definitely an indication that there unfortunately were other factors in them making this quick decision."
Jericho Road CEO DR. Myron Glick was more blunt in his statement yesterday as he said the college move was influenced by prejudice in the Buffalo community. which he says is usually viewed as a welcoming city.
But as we reported Sunday in her statement, Buffalo State University Interim President Bonita Durand said she made that difficult decision to not continue the original May through August housing agreement after Jericho Road requested an extension through February. Durand added she decided not to do so in the best interest of the students and campus community.
de Zaldivar does emphasize that these individuals came to Buffalo through various routes. She says some looked for help through the Jericho Road-operated Vive shelter and she says they are not connected at all with the other 570 migrants bused from New York City to Cheektowaga hotels.
She says in fact some had another destination in mind. "Some of them were on their way to Canada and that was their goal to go there. Others may have heard about Vive and the support they provide."
A summit meeting in March between President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau partially closed the entry door as Canada restricted its acceptance of migrants. Some of them had crowded Niagara Falls hotels after the government sent them there. Since then, some have been sent to Toronto.
That meant crowding at that Vive Shelter in Buffalo. So this past May Jericho Road's request for temporary housing at Buffalo State. That occurred even as Governor Hochul said the state might suggest SUNY and CUNY campuses as migrant shelter sites to ease overcrowding in New York City with 100,000 reported so far.
So now where could Jericho Road actually place this 44-member migrant group including families with children? De Zaldivar says "They work a lot with church groups and other private organizations that may have different solutions."