© 2024 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
WBFO Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Your NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cuomo urging State Department maintain Buffalo refugee agencies

Chris Thomas
/
WNED

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has written a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, asking the State Department to maintain refugee resettlement sites in Buffalo.

Cuomo says Buffalo's four refugee resettlement agencies need to stay open because they provide critical support to newcomers who are helping revitalize the state's second-largest city.

"Each of these agencies has its own areas of expertise that benefit the entire community, and they work in coordination to best serve the client," Cuomo said. "For example, Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and Erie County is well known for its work with deaf refugees and survivors of torture and trauma, and Journey's End is a recognized expert in providing legal immigration services and specialized education services to clients. Similarly, the International Institute of Buffalo provides critical services to trafficking and domestic violence victims, and Catholic Charities of Buffalo has spearheaded multiple training programs with local employers."

Cuomo says refugees and the broader community will be at a distinct disadvantage if these services are no longer available.

Pompeo's agency lowered the national refugee cap this year to 30,000. With fewer refugees coming in nationwide, Cuomo says the State Department is considering reducing the number of private resettlement agencies in Buffalo.

More than 12,000 refugees arrived in the Buffalo area in 10 years. They have settled in empty homes, filled jobs at hotels, restaurants and factories and have helped slow decades of population losses.

There was no immediate response from the State Department.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Related Content