By: Catherine Cai

Twenty-six-year-old Venezuelan Johnson Coronel hopes he can stay in Albany, NY, after fleeing his home country due to political unrest. However, some people in Albany are unsure how to deal with the recent influx of migrants, and some don’t believe they should be here at all.

The reasoning behind the hostility varies from person to person, but they usually converge into one statement. The townspeople believe that the federal government has created this problem “by not responding and making a plan for these folks…because immigration is decidedly a federal issue” (NPR). They feel that they have been blindsided by the government in that they had no warning that migrants were going to be sent to their town. Subsequently, the lack of preparation took a toll on the welcoming people in their community.

The tension is further exacerbated by how thin relief efforts are being stretched. Places like shelters and food pantries desperately need funding. Spokesperson Micky Jimenez says that “there is no way that we can continue to provide the level of services that we are providing” (NPR). They simply need more funds to continue to provide basic needs. A spokesman for New York Mayor Eric Adams agrees with this claim, stating in an email that they “are [amid] a humanitarian crisis…[trying] to serve over 70,000 asylum-seekers that have arrived in our city [since 2022]…we are out of space” (Times Union). It’s not a political problem, it’s a math one. They simply cannot handle the influx of migrants.

For many migrants like Juan Carlos, going to the U.S. is their final hope. It’s their last shot at living where they can “walk down the street without a government official shaking you down for money every couple of blocks” (NPR). Carlos hopes that he can finally set down roots here and live out his life in peace.

However, another citizen, Efren Rojas, disagrees with the way they are going about it. He’s not opposed to folks migrating, as he did it too when he was a teenager. “But he thinks the federal government should not be assisting them… [He] came to work, not to ask for help…They’re abusing the system.” (NPR).

The people of Albany may be hostile because of the situation, but it is up to the government to start putting effort into making it more welcoming for both the migrants and the citizens.

Sources:

For Many Migrants Being Bused From New York City to Other Towns Hostility Awaits – NYT

Albany expects more asylum-seekers to arrive Monday night – Times Union