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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Sean Ryan stated on March 1, 2017 in a press conference: \"Just last year, over 5,000 refugees came to New York state, and 94 percent settled outside of New York City.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" true/3d4df195c595a07e3fd69b5e4aab3e3c.jpg.\\") ![\\"true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Immigration * New York * Sean Ryan ![\\"Members](\\" Members of the Assembly and advocates rally for state funding for refugee resettlement agencies in New York on Mar. 1, 2017. By Dan Clark March 4, 2017 # Here\'s where refugees settled in New York state in 2016 A group of state lawmakers wants Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to include $12 million for refugee resettlement agencies in the next state budget. Federal funding for those agencies could be at risk if the U.S. places a temporary ban on refugees entering the country. President Donald Trump, in his January executive order on immigration, placed a temporary 120-day suspension on refugees entering the United States as well as a travel ban on seven mostly Muslim countries. That order has been halted by a federal judge. Trump also ordered limiting to 50,000 the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. in 2017. The number allowed into the U.S. was 110,000 under former President Barack Obama. The federal money goes to resettlement agencies when they receive new refugees. That funding could dry up with a refugee ban in place and if fewer refugees are placed in New York state. The state does not provide funding to these agencies. Assemblyman Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, called the funding especially important for upstate communities, where most refugees are placed. \"We know that refugees are a great economic driver in the communities we represent,\" Ryan said at a press conference. \"Just last year, over 5,000 refugees came to New York state, and 94 percent settled outside of New York City.\" That number does not include the number of immigrants who entered New York last year. Immigrants are typically people who move somewhere by choice to improve their lives while refugees are trying to escape from persecution or armed conflict, like in Syria. Is Ryan right about how many refugees resettled in New York state last year? Federal fiscal year data New York state accepted 5,026 refugees in the federal fiscal year that ran from October 2015 through September 2016, the third most in the country, according to the Department of State. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Byron Donalds stated on August 6, 2024 in an interview \"Tim Walz signed into law driver\'s licenses for illegal immigrants in Minnesota.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" true/3d4df195c595a07e3fd69b5e4aab3e3c.jpg.\\") ![\\"true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Maria Briceño • August 9, 2024 Upstate New York accepted 4,722, or 94 percent, of the refugees. New York City accepted 5.6 percent of them. The few remaining refugees went to Long Island or the New York City suburbs. Thirty-six percent of the refugees went to Erie County. Onondaga County took in the second-highest percentage of refugees, almost 25 percent. Calendar year data Ryan did not say if he was talking about the 2016 federal fiscal year or the 2016 calendar year. The data is typically reported by federal fiscal year. We checked both. During the 2016 calendar year, 5,830 refugees were resettled in New York state. Upstate New York accepted 5,430, or 93 percent, of them. Downstate New York accepted the rest. Erie and Onondaga counties also accepted the most refugees. Erie County took 1,966 of the state’s refugees. Onondaga accepted 1,092 refugees. Our ruling Ryan said, \"Just last year, over 5,000 refugees came to New York State, and 94 percent settled outside of New York City.\" Department of State figures, collected during the refugee vetting process, support Ryan’s point. The numbers closely match data from both the federal fiscal year and the calendar year. We rate his claim as True. Share the Facts Politifact ![\\"Politifact\\"](\\" logo-big.jpg\\"/) 0 6 ![\\"Politifact](\\" facts/rating_images/politifact/tom-true.png\\") Politifact Rating: True \"Just last year, over 5,000 refugees came to New York state, and 94 percent settled outside of New York City.\" Sean Ryan Assemblyman ![](\\" New York Wednesday, March 1, 2017 03/01/2017 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Email conversation with Assemblyman Sean Ryan Data obtained from the Department of State’s Refugee Processing Data Interactive Data tool, Feb. 21, 2017 Email and phone conversation with the Department of State Communications Office Email and phone conversation with Timothy Ruffinen from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Information on the refugee admittance process from the Department of State, Accessed Feb. 21, 2017 Pres. Donald J. Trump\'s Executive Order on Immigration, Jan. 27, 2017 \'Refugee or Migrant - Which is Right?\' From the UN Refugee Agency \"President Obama to Increase Refugees Admitted to U.S. by 30%\", Wall Street Journal, Sept. 14, 2016 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Dan Clark slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tom King stated on March 26, 2018 in a radio interview: A bill in Congress \"will ban all semi-automatic weapons, including pistols and shotguns. So, yes, they are coming to take away our guns.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • March 29, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Andrew Cuomo stated on March 12, 2018 in a press conference: \"The only housing authority in the state that we have actually given money to is NYCHA.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • March 23, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Cynthia Nixon stated on March 20, 2018 in her announcement to run for governor: \"Since taking office, Andrew Cuomo has given massive tax breaks to corporations and the super rich.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • March 23, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on May 30, 2018 in a tweet: Rep. Dan Donovan \"voted for Tax Cuts\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • June 4, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Christine Quinn stated on May 23, 2018 in a presentation at the State Democratic Convention: New York state has the \"second highest millionaires tax in the nation.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • May 31, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on May 10, 2018 in a tweet: \"Senator Cryin’ Chuck Schumer fought hard against the Bad Iran Deal, even going at it with President Obama, & then Voted AGAINST it! Now he says I should not have terminated the deal\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • May 24, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Edward Cox stated on May 1, 2018 in an interview on The Capital Pressroom: Marc Molinaro \"has cut taxes, his budget now is lower than it was six years ago\" in Dutchess County ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • May 24, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Hakeem Jeffries stated on April 29, 2018 in an interview on CNN: President Donald Trump’s budget \"threatened to cut $2 trillion from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • May 4, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Chele Farley stated on April 23, 2018 in an interview on Capital Tonight: \"Kirsten Gillibrand has put forward 331 bills since she\'s been in Congress. Do you know how many of them have been passed into law? Zero!\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • May 4, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" James Tedisco stated on April 13, 2018 in a blog post : After the minimum wage for tipped workers was raised in Maine, the state \"reversed that decision due to restaurant employees organizing en masse against the measure.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • April 26, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kirsten Gillibrand stated on April 20, 2018 in a tweet: \"Black and Latino people in NYC are arrested at TEN times the rate of white people for virtually the same rate of marijuana usage.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • April 25, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Andrew Cuomo stated on April 11, 2018 in a conversation with reporters: \"I think we\'re actually ahead\" on legalizing marijuana for recreational use in New York state. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • April 17, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Marc Molinaro stated on April 2, 2018 in a conversation with reporters: New York has \"among the highest tax burdens of any state in the nation\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • April 12, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Brian Kolb stated on March 31, 2018 in a statement on the state budget: This year’s state budget \"continues to direct millions in taxpayer dollars in advertising to the failing Start-Up NY program\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • April 9, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Cynthia Nixon stated on March 26, 2018 in a press conference: Four years after Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised universal pre-K, \"79 percent of 4-year olds outside New York City lack full-day pre-K.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • March 30, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tom King stated on March 26, 2018 in a radio interview: A bill in Congress \"will ban all semi-automatic weapons, including pistols and shotguns. So, yes, they are coming to take away our guns.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • March 29, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Andrew Cuomo stated on March 12, 2018 in a press conference: \"The only housing authority in the state that we have actually given money to is NYCHA.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • March 23, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Cynthia Nixon stated on March 20, 2018 in her announcement to run for governor: \"Since taking office, Andrew Cuomo has given massive tax breaks to corporations and the super rich.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • March 23, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on May 30, 2018 in a tweet: Rep. Dan Donovan \"voted for Tax Cuts\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • June 4, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Christine Quinn stated on May 23, 2018 in a presentation at the State Democratic Convention: New York state has the \"second highest millionaires tax in the nation.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • May 31, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on May 10, 2018 in a tweet: \"Senator Cryin’ Chuck Schumer fought hard against the Bad Iran Deal, even going at it with President Obama, & then Voted AGAINST it! Now he says I should not have terminated the deal\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • May 24, 2018 ### Here\'s where refugees settled in New York state in 2016 * ![](\\" ![](\\" J.D. Vance stated on August 7, 2024 in a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a law that would “take children away from their parents if the parents don’t want to consent to sex changes.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Grace Abels • August 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on August 25, 2024 in Threads post: Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Kamala Harris used to be a man named Kamal Aroush. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • August 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Jeffrey Barke stated on August 23, 2024 in an Instagram post: Food and Drug Administration approval for updated COVID-19 vaccines requires a public health emergency declaration. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • August 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Jesse James stated on May 13, 2024 in News conference: In Wisconsin, “a legislative committee cannot release funding.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Laura Schulte • August 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 14, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Nike announces termination of contract with Brittney Griner after ‘strong backlash’ from online community.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • August 27, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on August 23, 2024 in a Threads post: Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said on CNBC, “If conservatives do not like our values, they should take their money to Home Depot.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • August 26, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 20, 2024 in a Facebook post: “All students who knelt during the national anthem were rounded up and removed from scholarships” at the University of Texas. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • August 26, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on August 19, 2024 in a post: Kamala Harris has adopted the Nazi-rooted phrase “Strength Through Joy” as her campaign slogan. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sara Swann • August 26, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 22, 2024 in Facebook posts: Jason Aldean rejected a $500 million music collaboration with Taylor Swift. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • August 26, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 21, 2024 in una publicación en Facebook: “Elon Musk pide la prohibición de ‘The View’, ‘prefiero caminar descalzo sobre asfalto caliente que ver The View’”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Marta Campabadal Graus • August 26, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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Just last year over 5000 refugees came to New York state and 94 percent settled outside of New York City