Asylum seekers scrambling to find local housing 

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – It’s been one year since asylum seekers from New York City were sent to the Capital District by busloads. We told you about the evacuation at the Rotterdam Super 8, where many of them were living, now the New York City mayor’s office is asking the Rotterdam community for help housing them.

Following their removal from the Rotterdam Super 8 – due to no working sprinkler or fire alarm system – asylum seekers tell NEWS10 they have been told by DocGo that they will be removed from the current hotel they’re staying in. 

One person told me, “They only gave us 8 days to vacate the hotel where we are, in reality we don’t have anything to rent and we don’t want to go to New York.”

Many of the children attend school in the Mohonasen Central School District. Superintendent Shannon Shine said the situation is dynamic.

“They were informed they could stay for six weeks, which would take them to the end of the school year and apparently the hotel mid-last week said it would be sold and everyone had to be out by June 1,” said Shine.

Shine said DocGo has offered to buy asylum seekers tickets, on any mode of transportation, to anywhere they have family or other living arrangements. However, an asylum seeker tells me he’s concerned because he does not have a place to go. 

“They will transport them free of charge, plane, train or automobile. The guy said actually anywhere in the world and I guess that would deal with, can you get into another country or not? Passports, customs laws. But certainly anywhere in the United States they want to go if they have family or if they have friends. A job, a place to go,” said Shine.

Shine said things are changing rapidly, but he’s been following the situation closely because they have a legal obligation to educate all students in the district. 

“We want them to finish if at all possible, we know it’s good for them, but some of these things may ultimately turn out to be beyond our control,” said Shine.

He and his staff have heard harrowing stories about what the students and their families have been through.

“It’s pretty affronting when you listen to the sheer number of miles traveled. People taking advantage in, different countries. It runs the gamut from murder, extortion, rape, bribery, charging excessive amounts, taking advantage of people financially. Sex trafficking. All of that isn’t like ‘Oh yeah we think that this could happen’. No, it did happen, it is happening which makes it pretty brutal,” said Shine. “And then you have kids who were there throughout the whole thing, depending on the age of the kids they may have been involved in some of these things.”

Shine said the district has resources and helping asylum seekers does not take away from other students. He said the students and their families have been through some heart wrenching challenges.

“People may have political opinions about this, but that’s outside of my purview. What is inside of my purview is students in our district, residing here, are our responsibility and we will do the best we can for them,” said Shine.

Shine said there’s a slim chance asylum seekers could stay in the area and if they stay he will do what he can to transport students to school. 

The New York City Mayor’s office released a statement saying, “We are pursuing all available options to keep these families in Rotterdam, where they have lived for months, so that school-aged children can finish their school year there. We welcome any businesses, faith institutions, or community organizations in the area who can temporarily accommodate these families to please reach out.”

The New York City mayor’s office is asking anyone in a position to help to contact the city by sending an email to asylumseekersupport@cityhall.nyc.gov