When the first bus of new immigrants arrived in Rochester last year, our community sprang into action. Service providers quickly mobilized to start connecting families to resources, while others helped people navigate complicated government applications and programs—all so families had a sense of security as they started building their new lives here.
Less than a year later, at least 160 new immigrant families are settling in across the region. They’ve moved into homes and gotten jobs. They’re learning English and applying for training programs. They’re enrolling their children in our local schools and shopping at our local businesses.
While this transition has proven challenging at times, Rochester’s welcoming approach to the arrival of new immigrants stands in stark contrast to other communities. New York has welcomed immigrants for centuries. That can’t change when times are tough.
As the former mayor of Rochester and now a leader in our business community, I know there’s no problem too big to solve when our elected officials, local employers, labor unions, faith leaders, and service providers work together to tackle our challenges. Folks in our city are proud of how Rochester has risen to meet this emergency. Other communities should take note.
Like the rest of New York, Rochester is facing an aging workforce and outmigration crisis, which has led to a decline in the city’s workforce participation—sitting at 60 percent, below pre-pandemic levels, according to the most recent figures from 2022. The current influx of asylum seekers in New York is a major opportunity to inject new energy into regional economies across the state. Businesses across the region—especially those in the health care and construction sectors—are desperately in need of workers.
At the same time, tens of thousands of people have come to New York starving for a good-paying job. Many of them already have the skills and experience needed to quickly fill urgent workforce needs. Others will need training for the most in-demand jobs. Regardless, New York must see this moment for what it is: a historic opportunity to strengthen upstate’s local economies.
Recently, Greater Rochester Chamber was proud to join the Ellis Island Initiative’s convening on the influx of migrants in Rochester. The first in a statewide series, the convening brought together Rochester stakeholders including United Way, RochesterWorks, large private corporations, members of local governments, and others to discuss concrete steps for better integrating recent arrivals into our communities.
With nearly a half-million open jobs across New York, it’s clear that workforce development organizations and employers will need to collaborate on building pathways to employment for recent arrivals and longtime New Yorkers alike. Additionally, the state’s multibillion-dollar investment toward supporting asylum seekers has the potential to uplift countless local businesses from restaurants to security and construction firms.
Making sure that our new neighbors are ready to join the workforce as soon as they can is the best way that we can work to integrate them into our communities.
Access to steady work will give recently arrived families much needed stability and will allow them to put food on the table and support themselves. This is a win-win moment for Rochester, and we are eager to continue doing our part.
Robert J. Duffy is the CEO of Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, and he served as New York lieutenant governor from January 2011 to December 2014.
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I wish Mr. Duffy would respond with data related to the negative comments about immigrants. People are assuming they are illegal, assuming they take jobs from local people, assuming that the system helps immigrants, but not people born here, assuming that they affect everything from education to doctor’s appointments. This needs to become a dialog. It’s an important issue.
In my letter about the border, I need to correct one thing: Abara should be Abara.org as it is a non profit organization.
Rochester NY is a joke the mayor county executive city council school board and Duffy have done nothing to better the lives of their citizens. Going above and beyond your duties to better the lives of illegal immigrants is a joke and insult to the taxpayers of Rochester.
We are having trouble placing people who currently live in this community. Who has lived her for generations struggling. It seems to me it would make sense to take care of home first. People have been denied the basic needs Food and Shelter. The cost in this community has skyrocketed especially RG&E. People are exploiting the poor so they can get rich at the communities expense. This is criminal, then you say we are finding placements for people who are not from here. My parents always told me charity begins at home, then spreads abroad.
I am impressed with Rochester’s efforts to deal with a complex ongoing issue. I live in a large southwestern city on US/Mexican border, & we have dealt with this issue for over 100 years. Churches, ngos, business, schools, health care & social workers & local citizens work together to address this problem in a humane & workable manner. One organization, called Abara.com, can provide more information, even tours, about the work being done along the border. I wish your community the best of luck in your efforts to deal with this difficult issue.
I THINK IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE WELCOMED ASSUMING THEY ARE LEGAL. MANY SANCTUARY CITIES CERTAINLY HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS IT IS TO BAD WE DONT TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN BEFORE HELPING OTHERS, IE HOMELESS, VETERANS ETC. I HAVE A FRIEND KEN SETERA WHO WORKS AT AN INNER CITY CHURCH. HE REALLY HELPS PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THIS LAND, BUT YPOU WILL NEVER HEAR FROM HIM NOR WILL HE EVER WRITE ARTICLES, BUT I GUESS THE LOCAL ELITE HAVE MORE TIME Convincing THE RESIDENTS HOW WONDERFUL THINGS ARE LOCALLY IN THIS DECAYING STATE. I SUPPOSE THIS is ANOTHER SITUATION WITH IMMIGRANTS MAYBE LIKE THE BUFFALO BILLIONS OR THE FAST FERRY AS THE LIST GOES ON. I GUESS I THINk WE SHOULD TAKE CATe OF OR OWN FIRST. OUR SCHOOLS ARE IN FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY. WHERE WILL THE REVENUE COME FROM TO EDUCATE Many STUDENTS OF MANY LANGUAGES ETC. I think WELCOMING PEOPLE IS SO WONDERFUL IF YOUR CITY IS PREPARED FOR THE BURDEN. THERE ARE THOSE WHO LOOK SO NICE IN THEIR FORMAL ATTIRE AND THEn there ARE THE REST OF US
give people on welfare jobs first
Yea that’s cool but they still haven’t done anything for the people that lives in the inner city its loads of homeless people in Rochester ny that doesn’t get any help but immigrants come into the city and automatically get a 100,000 to 250,000 dollar home for nothing and I’m speaking from experience
Hello, Davon. I absolutely, one hundred percent agree with you. As a mother of two, I too from experience, faced homelessness. I work full time for decent pay, but I still fell short of finances and other resources. The so called system fails families again and again!
How many illegals will Duffy be taking into his home and supporting? Democrats are destroying this country!
I am the grandchild of a Jewish immigrant who immigrated legally to the United States from Austria at the age of 13 to flee the holocaust. I support Mr Duffy’s position that immigration is a positive for our community. What confuses me is that according to Mr Duffy there are many unfilled jobs in our community.If that is accurate how does he explain the high level of poverty in our community? If there are so many available jobs why aren’t members of our poverty community working???
Welcoming and supporting immigrants in the Rochester community will strengthen our community. There is plenty of research showing the good outcomes for all with this approach. Many thanks to Bob Duffy for describing the efforts in supporting immigrants and the benefits from such an approach.
This kind of solution focused journalism is one of the reasons that I support the great work of the Rochester Beacon.
I don’t think anyone argues that welcoming “immigrants” into the community is a good thing. However, bringing in large numbers of unvetted ILLEGAL immigrants has proven to be a detriment in most areas of the country. Resources are being tapped to a breaking point (health care, schools, etc.) A friend works at Eastman Dental and said locals can’t get appointments for over a year because they are inundated with “immigrants” who don’t have insurance. This isn’t fair to those lower income folks who need help.