Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As confusion persists over migrants in Erie County, a member of the Western New York Congressional delegation is calling for transparency.
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Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) said there must be more openness on what the plan is for the migrant population.
"There is a drastic lack of transparency," he said. "This is something that people need to demand of their local leaders. No one in Western New York voted for sanctuary city policies. We're a law and order community. No one
in Cheektowaga or Hamburg or Amherst asked for this."
Cheektowaga Supervisor Diane Benczkowski told a packed town meeting Tuesday night, that migrants at a Dingens Street hotel would be moved to a hotel in Amherst. Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa told WBEN Wednesday that those plans are nowhere near finalized.
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Langworthy said due to vast confusion in Erie County, everyone is pointing fingers at each other.
"Now that New York State has become a destination for immigration, you're hearing huge calls for comprehensive immigration reform." He agreed that we need a federal fix. "But first and foremost," he said, "we need to seal our southern border. If we don't stop the flow, we can't have a policy."
Langworthy offered his own plan to help the crisis.
"I would create a SWAT team of judges, retired or whatever. Perhaps the President should call up any judge that is willing to serve. We would create a SWAT team that is willing to cut through this backlog so that asylum seekers are not in limbo for four or five years. If they're entitled to asylum, then America will welcome you. If not, God bless you, go back to where you came from."
During a visit to Buffalo earlier in the week, Governor Kathy Hochul said she was working to speed up work permits for migrants and trying to get more case workers to deal with the backlog of asylum cases.
Langworthy said the governor has no control over any of that.
"She has no say. And I would not support expediting work permits because it normalizes illegal immigration. If you allow people to just come here and let them work on day one, you're essentially legalizing illegal immigration. Think about it, nine out of ten people who come here and fill out asylum paperwork, are not qualified for asylum in the first place. This is illegal immigration coming home to our backyard."