Seeking Asylum in Chautauqua County

NY 23's State Senator, George Borello, has recently taken to Fox News (Fox Business and Fox and Friends) to decry the migrants "overwhelming" the City of Jamestown and attempt to score political points on the country's immigration policies.

The Fox News corporation has not reached out to Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, the person closest to the situation and its impact on the community, to comment. Mayor Sundquist has made the time to reach out to these families, so let's take a moment to clarify what's happening here.

There are currently five or six families -- just over 30 people -- who have come to Jamestown from Colombia, seeking asylum in the United States. Asylum seekers are people who have left their countries to seek protection from persecution and serious human rights violations. As asylum seekers, these families are here legally and able to live and work in the U.S. while their asylum status is under review.

According to Sundquist, "What’s difficult is while they are seeking asylum, most of their photo identification was confiscated or lost when they came over the border, so they have to seek [government identification] in order to work." What is also clear from Mayor Sundquist is that his administration welcomes these families and is doing everything in its power to provide for them by coordinating with local churches and nonprofit groups.

Yes, cities and towns that receive asylum seekers need support from Albany and Washington, but in no way is Jamestown being "overwhelmed by migrants."

Many of us in this community are descended from immigrants who came here in family memory, and we understand what it takes to come to America, make a new life, and be accepted into the society. We do not need leadership in Albany, like State Senator Borello, to try scoring political points based on disinformation.

Reach out to State Senator Borello to let him know what you think about legal asylum seekers resettling to Chautauqua County. His email is borrello@nysenate.gov.