Balancing what public needs to know about migrants in Erie County, their safety

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Dr. Myron Glick is a modern day missionary. He founded Jericho Road Ministries, a 501c3 nonprofit in 2003. It became the Jericho Road Community Health Center in 2013. It includes the Vive Shelter for refugees and asylum seekers, providing care for the underserved and marginalized communities.

Glick told WBEN Friday that his organization is working with officials in Erie County, New York City, and New York State to provide resources for the newest migrants to arrive in Cheektowaga.

"The City of New York and the state are providing housing and food. Jericho Road and several other organizations are providing case management and healthcare," said Glick.

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"The asylum seekers coming from our southern border are a different influx of people to come to Buffalo than the refugees that we've been taking care of for many years. The vetting process is different. But we will be assessing them for any health conditions for which they need medical care. We will be evaluating, from a legal standpoint, the validity of their case." He added, "The process is different than the refugee resettlement process."

There is a segment of the public that is frustrated by the lack of information about the newest migrants. Glick was asked for his opinion about what the public should know about it.

"It's challenging. I mean, I think in general, transparency is always the best approach, but this is a very volatile topic and there are people out there that are potentially haters and so we have to think about the safety of the people that are involved. We have to think about them as human beings. They're brought in the middle of the night to Buffalo and the last thing they need is for people to be waiting for them, and yelling at them and treating them in a way that is not human. So you have to balance the need for the public to know with the individuals and their safety. We should treat them the way we would treat those who we love the most, such as our family and neighbors." He ended by saying, "It's not easy."