Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, claims that the party has heard from more than 1.4 million Democrats whose neighborhoods are being impacted by the migration of people from the Caribbean and other countries and who want fair help for them.
The 42nd District Assemblywoman noted, “The Brooklyn Democratic Party is consistently communicating with leaders at all levels of government for updates and to relay our constituents’ feedback, including exploring the possibility of equitably spreading out access to migrant housing across Brooklyn from Fort Hamilton to Brooklyn Heights and beyond.”
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She expressed the difficulties faced in helping migrants in need without sufficient assistance, “It is clear that vast existing inequities of shelter placements serving unhoused New Yorkers are being exacerbated by new emergency shelters opening up in our communities that are all too familiar with disproportionately shouldering the responsibility of helping those in need.” she continued, “Neighborhoods without migrant shelters are being called to open their communities to ‘spread the love’ by Brooklyn Democrats.
Bichotte Hermelyn who is the first Haitian-American State Legislature in New York City noted in her address, “We acknowledge this vital feedback from Brooklynites who are recommending having migrant shelters in communities from Fort Hamilton Army Base, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, Marine Park, and Manhattan Beach.”
She further added, “The Brooklyn Democratic Party is utilizing our members’ feedback by not only recommending using these neighborhoods in Brooklyn, but also similarly expanding to underutilized areas across NYC, the entire State of New York, and other municipalities across the US.
The Assemblywoman states, “While everyone deserves fair, equitable, and humane housing, this is a national, unprecedented crisis; requiring federal aid and collaboration at all levels.” She also defended Mayor Adams’ response to the crisis, which included holding press conferences and writing to the Biden Administration for assistance.
The mayor is criticized for being anti-immigrant while requesting federal assistance, although Bichotte Hermelyn said that elected authorities rebutted this charge.
In her address at the rally, she urges the support of Mayor Eric Adam “Let’s all come together and support our mayor…He’s been doing his darndest.”
Bichotte Hermelyn is one of 54 Democratic city council members from New York who recently signed a letter urging President Biden to address the city’s immigration situation.
But even though the Brooklyn Democratic Party applauds the Biden administration’s recent decision to grant nearly 500,000 Venezuelan asylum seekers TPS and work permits, Bichotte Hermelyn noted that this still leaves 75 percent of the city’s 60,000 migrant residents in need of care unable to legally find employment and support themselves.
She noted in her remark, “The federal government must designate the same status to all families arriving from other parts of the world, including African nations.” While adding that “The influx exacerbates New York’s existing housing crisis, with nearly 70,000 homeless children and adults already living in shelters city-wide as of January 2023.”
