Over 1.4 million Democrats reside in the Brooklyn, New York borough, and Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, district chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party and member of the 42nd Assembly, is committed to resolving their issues. As the increase of migrants from the Caribbean and other regions has had an impact on these Brooklyn inhabitants.
Hermelyn, whose parents were immigrants from Haiti, stated recently in an address that the party fervently wants to provide these communities with equitable aid.
“The Brooklyn Democratic Party maintains an open channel for communication with leaders at all levels of government to stay informed and represent our constituents’ voices effectively,” she said.
New emergency center openings worsen conditions
She also highlighted the pressing issue of shelter placement inequities, which have been exacerbated by the opening of new emergency shelters in communities that have already been disproportionately burdened with supporting those in need.
Bichotte Hermelyn stated that neighborhoods without migrant shelters are being called upon to contribute to a more equitable distribution of these facilities.
“We appreciate the valuable feedback from Brooklyn residents who have suggested establishing migrant shelters in communities ranging from Fort Hamilton Army Base, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, Marine Park, to Manhattan Beach, The Brooklyn Democratic Party is not only endorsing these locations within Brooklyn, but also advocating for the expansion of similar initiatives in underutilized areas across New York City, the entire state of New York, and municipalities nationwide,” she explained.
She went on to stress the importance of federal aid and collaboration at all levels of government to address this unprecedented national crisis. Hermelyn has actively lobbied for federal assistance alongside city-wide elected officials and has supported Mayor Adams’ initiatives in response to the housing crisis.
60,000 NYC migrants jobless
Despite the recent actions taken by the Biden administration to provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and work permits to nearly 500,000 Venezuelan asylum seekers, Bichotte Hermelyn pointed out that this still leaves three-quarters of NYC’s 60,000 migrants without the ability to work and support themselves. However, the Brooklyn Democratic Party remains committed to advocating for equitable solutions to support both residents and migrants in the face of this complex and pressing issue.
“The federal government must extend the same protected status to families arriving from other regions of the world, including African nations. The influx of migrants has further compounded New York’s existing housing crisis, with nearly 70,000 homeless children and adults already residing in shelters city-wide as of January 2023,” she asserted.
