AMHERST, N.Y. — Residents in Amherst voiced their split perspectives at a town board meeting Tuesday night over plans to house additional migrants just steps from their doors.
Some residents cited concerns over taxpayer dollars going toward costs for the migrants or police forces being dedicated to responding to crimes. Others called town members racist and classist, expressing disappointment in their community.
“If we can give a billion dollars for a football stadium, we can afford to take these people in and do something for them,” one resident said.
It comes after news that a group of migrants being housed at the Dingens Street Hotel in Cheektowaga would be moved to a hotel in Amherst — adding to an already existing migrant population at the Red Roof Inn.
It also follows a number of criminal incidents tied to the population of asylum seekers from New York City — one furthering Tuesday with a migrant from Venezuela now facing a second rape charge.
“I think that Amherst should not be a garbage dump for people that are going to rape us,” another Amherst resident said.
Meanwhile, candidates in the upcoming Erie County Executive election — Chrissy Casilio and incumbent Mark Poloncarz — got involved, challenging each other on their actions or proposals to respond to the migrant situation.
“Mark Poloncarz was afraid to address this issue months ago, and he is still afraid to address it now,” Casilio said.
“You need a strong leader in the office of County Executive, not someone who's just going to throw a political stunt every now and then because they actually have no plan on how to lead,” Poloncarz said.
2 On Your Side pressed Casilio about her plan on Tuesday.
“My concrete plan is to put the Erie County residents first. We need to use all of the county resources to address this issue and reverse course because clearly, we were not prepared for this,” she said.
That lack of preparation is the one thing that everyone seems to agree on.
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