On Air Now Brett Ness 10:00am - 2:00pm
Now Playing The Strumbellas Hold Me

Mass Deportation Policy Concerns Mayor

Jim Diodati says there's still a backlog for current immigration applications

Niagara Falls mayor is greatly concerned about the Canada/US border should President-elect Trump enforce his mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

Jim Diodati recalls 2022, when many illegal crossings led to hotels in Niagara Falls being filled.

He adds Trump may change the Safe Third Country agreement, that closed loopholes.  "I'm concerned, because we already have a lot of asylum seekers still living in hotels in Niagara Falls.  We've got an affordability crisis, and a housing crisis, and if you're going to bring more people into this mix, how are we going to deal with it?" 

The mayor says so many people coming can be too much to absorb.

"I understand there's a 44-month backlog on immigration applications, that's almost 4-years.  Can you imagine adding extra thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or more."

He's very concerned for people crossing as the winter approaches.

More from Local News