Rotterdam motel to house migrants after closing to current residents

ROTTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A number of people are scrambling to find a new place to stay after the Super 8 Motel on Carman Road in Rotterdam told everyone Tuesday morning they had to be out by Wednesday.

Town Board member Joe Mastroianni said he had numerous calls and texts about the issue and went to the motel to gain more information. He spoke with the manager, who confirmed that they have a one-year agreement to house migrants.

"We just had a planning board meeting here in Rotterdam earlier this evening and quite a few people showed up because they wanted to make their voices heard that they feel like we should do something," Mastroianni said.

Mastroianni said he shared the community's frustrations to Schenectady County Manager Rory Fluman who issued the following statement:

We were recently made aware that a local motel contracted with the City of New York to host a group of asylum seekers. Because immigration is governed by Federal Law, the County does not have jurisdiction in these matters. However, we are disappointed that the City of New York did not reach out to us directly to inform us of their plans. 

The County acknowledges that these individuals have certain rights under Federal Law and that business owners are free to operate in their best interest. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional information as it becomes available.