“We cannot forget that we are a nation of immigrants. As President Bill Clinton once said, ‘More than any other nation on Earth, America has constantly drawn strength and spirit from wave after wave of immigrants. In each generation, they have proved to be the most restless, the most adventurous, the most innovative, the most industrious of people.’

These words ring true today and I am in full support of migrants entering America, New York State and Albany County.  However, we also must understand the current situation and circumstances affecting our communities. This includes a  housing crisis and homeless population crisis and we need to look at the those numbers in Albany County. We have over 730 individuals, that’s adults and children, who are homeless. A majority of them are in our shelters. We are doing our best to assist them to find permanent housing. Sending migrants to us without a plan in place is not the answer. We need direct communication with Mayor Adams to find the best solution, so this isn’t creating further chaos. 

This isn’t about politics. We need leadership. We need real solutions and we need a comprehensive immigration plan for all of America. We must remember that we are talking about real people who many have struggled and endured much to get to this great Country. We must treat each one with dignity and respect. We should not be shipping people around aimlessly. Let’s come together as one nation, leave the politics behind and create a sustainable immigration policy that will allow our country to strengthen and prosper, culturally and economically, with our merging migrant population.”