Anxious Times In Central New York Refugee Haven

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published February 3, 2017 at 3:57 PM EST

An influx of thousands of refugees from around the world over the past few decades is credited with injecting new energy into one city in upstate New York. But now, Utica is beset with new anxiety in the age of Trump.

The president's order restricting refugees and travel from Muslim countries has left immigrants in Utica feeling uncertain. Some worry they won’t be able to bring over family members fleeing war zones and refugee camps.

The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees in Utica annually settles some 400 individuals.

Mayor Robert Palmieri calls them the "next evolution" for a city built generations ago by immigrants from Italy, Germany and Poland.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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