Upstate NY counties take different stances on asylum seekers

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has announced that his county will welcome asylum seekers from New York City, who have been forced out of their own countries by authoritarian rulers or for other serious life-threatening reasons. This is in contrast to other counties in Upstate New York that have issued emergency orders or filed lawsuits to block migrants from being transported to and/or housed in their counties. Poloncarz said that the asylum seekers are legally in the country seeking asylum, have been vetted by federal authorities prior to arriving, and will be coming from New York City.