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SUNY Buffalo State University has been accused of discriminating against 44 migrants housed in campus dormitories after the school announced it would evict its visitors before students return to class on Tuesday.
In May, Buffalo State agreed to let migrants stay in their dorms because the nearby Jericho Road Vive Shelter was over capacity and could no longer adequately support the influx.
Jericho Roads’ founder and CEO, Dr. Myron Glick, claimed that school officials recently informed him that Buffalo State had decided against extending the agreement with his organization because of concerns from parents over student safety.
Parents allegedly spoke out after two migrants were charged with sex crimes at Cheektowaga hotels, just ten miles from the campus.
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Migrants gather outside of the Roosevelt Hotel where dozens of recently arrived migrants have been camping out as they try to secure temporary housing on August 02, 2023 in New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Glick, condemning the university’s actions, said the migrants housed at Buffalo State are being punished for the actions of two migrants with no connection to those staying in the school dormitories.
"I felt compelled to speak out about this action by Buffalo State because it was discriminatory against these asylum-seekers who are human beings just like you and me," Glick said. "We do worse by the families we are serving if we don’t speak up for them. They need to know we stand with them as fellow human beings. We cannot be silent in the face of injustice."
Glick also said the school’s decision was a reaction to "prejudice" forming in the community.
The agreement between Jericho Road and Buffalo State was not publicized and occurred in the spring.
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A member of the mayor's immigration office speaks with migrants who are camping out in front of the Watson Hotel after being evicted on January 30, 2023, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago)
In a statement to The Buffalo News, Buffalo State interim President Bonita R. Durand said the university’s agreement was seen as an accommodation from May to August. When Jericho Road asked to extend the deal further to February, the school declined.
In an email to Fox News Digital, Durand said: "As the academic year begins at Buffalo State University, it is crucial we continue to ensure our focus is on launching the academic year for students and the Buffalo State campus. After careful consideration, I made the difficult decision to not enter into an additional revocable permit with Jericho Road Community Health Center. This decision was not taken lightly but was reached with the best interests of our students and campus community in mind. I want to express our continued admiration for the work Jericho Road does within our community. Its mission is important, and we enthusiastically applaud its ongoing efforts."
Jericho Road was informed of the decision in a Monday letter, stating, "Please discontinue use of the premises and remove all of Jericho Road’s property and the property of the occupants from the premises and restore the premises to the same condition it was in before use."
In her statement, Durand did not cite the Cheektowaga incidents as a reason for the move. Instead, she said the decision was made to ensure the "best possible learning environment" for students and maintain the "smooth functioning" of university operations.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams is calling on the federal government to declare a national emergency to ease the financial crisis the city is facing as it struggles to accommodate thousands of arriving migrants. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
According to Jericho Road’s internal statistics, the Buffalo State migrants include several families and a dozen kids under 12 years old.
Thirty-two of the 44 migrants are from African countries, while 11 hail from the Western Hemisphere, including Columbia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. One of the migrants fled from Iraq. All the migrants are seeking asylum.
Jericho Road officials said they are struggling to find new accommodations for the migrants who were still packing their belongings as of Saturday.
Jericho Road did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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