NYC’s Immigration Issue May Be a Lifeline to Upstate
The recent influx of immigrants into NYC have prompted our elected officials to try and fashion an effective and humane public policy. It is a complex issue with strong opinions on both sides, but a few data points merit note.
Outward migration and deaths exceeding births resulted in a decline of more than 107,707 people in our upstate counties between 2010 and 2018. Offsetting this decline has been approximately 50,000 refugees that have been resettled since 2002 upstate.
These new residents have generated hundreds of millions of state, local and, federal tax dollars and helped revitalize communities. Public officials from Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, and Utica sing the praises of their newest residents.
Granted, in its early stages, resettlement of refugees and migrants comes with a cost; however, with fiscal assistance to aid resettlement, the newly arrived 60,000 immigrants in New York City may be just what Upstate needs.
Scott Fein, Editor, “Immigration Key to the Future: The Benefits to Resettlement to Upstate New York.”
