Amid controversy over asylum seekers, Oneida County faith leaders call for inclusion

Several interfaith clergy and religious leaders in the greater Utica area gathered Thursday to encourage the reversal of Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr.’s recent ban on asylum seekers coming to Oneida County.

Last week, Oneida County and greater Mohawk Valley representatives vehemently opposed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal of possibly sending asylum seekers to state-owned and operated areas, including colleges.

Hochul has not yet publicly declared if she is sending refugees to counties throughout the state and Oneida County has not received any word that asylum seekers are being sent here.

“The county exec does not speak for me, and I do not think he speaks for most of us,” said Rev. Karen Brammer, head of Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica. “Most of us know that Utica is a better place due to the diversity and hard work of waves of immigrants who have made Utica their home.”

“Most of us know that as climate change intensifies causing yet more scarcity and violence that there will be more massive evacuations and migrations. More refugees seeking asylum and safety. And we need to prepare by becoming more resilient.”

Brammer was joined Thursday at Unitarian Universalist Church of Utica by Rev. Michael Ballman of Cornerstone Community Church, Rabbi Peter Schaktman of Temple Emanu-El and Rev. Jill Farnham-Us of the Interfaith Coalition of Greater Utica.

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All the faith leaders shared the same general message: Oneida County was closed before the conversation of how to handle the situation was held.

“Fear gets all the attention,” said Farnham-Us. “We’re here to tell you to focus on the love.”

The faith leaders further said the community working together could handle the logistics required for asylum seekers to come to Oneida County. The leaders also said they would do their part, taking in as many as they could, while offering food and transportation.

Picente: 'I have to see things in a different light'

Picente said he understands where the faith leaders are coming from, but maintained he had to look at things from a different perspective.

“I respect all the clergy in our area and beyond,” Picente said. "I have a different role. I have to see things in a different light.”

Much like he has in past weeks speaking on asylum seekers, Picente said there has been no real communication with Hochul on the matter.

Picente further stated, as he has maintained, Oneida County is at capacity.

He also questioned how long the asylum seekers would be staying, what their health and vaccination statuses were, among other concerns. These questions, he said, have not been answered.

Refugee service providers left out of conversation

Shelly Callahan, executive director of The Center, a refugee placement and service providing organization based in Utica, said she understands Oneida County’s decision to place a state of emergency.

“I understand when the county executive says that we don’t have the capacity,” said Callahan. “We don’t have the resources, I’m struggling currently.”

Callahan said to gauge a community's capacity to resettle migrants, there are several factors that must be taken into account such as housing, access to medical services, school districts and access to public assistance. For the 250 refugees the Center is working on assisting this year, the hardest part of the process, she said, is finding housing.

“It’s a struggle to find safe and affordable housing for refugees,” said Callahan. “I am definitely of the mind that it is legal to come to the U.S. and claim asylum, but there needs to be a plan and mechanism in place to make it workable.”

Despite the difficulty that finding housing on an even larger scale would present, Callahan does believe counties have the ability to help in some capacity, so long as they are willing to work together with service providers such as The Center to create a plan. Callahan said she would be more than willing to help, but she hasn't been keyed into any of the conversations had between the state or county governments.

"There haven't been those conversations," said Callahan. "I think the frustration at least on my part is I would like to have some conversations, I would like to know possibly what the state is really thinking."

Callahan said Utica has a “proven track record of being welcoming,” and that with “the right people in the room” it is possible that the area could work out a plan to accommodate some of the asylum seekers.

Ultimately, Callahan believes the problem can’t be solved by Utica alone, nor Oneida County or New York State at large. Callahan said that until the federal government steps in to assist the state, and that until the country at large can revamp its immigration system, individual counties can only do so much.

“I don’t know the answer,” said Callahan. “I know that we need to be humane about it. These are people, and in this country, you have a right to enter the country and claim asylum.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Faith leaders question Oneida County's stance on asylum seekers