By: Don Driggers

The Brooklyn Democratic Party finds itself in the midst of internal strife, triggered by a contentious statement from its leader, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. Her assertion that predominantly white neighborhoods in Brooklyn were not adequately sharing the responsibility of hosting migrant shelters ignited a heated debate within the party.

City Councilman Justin Brannan, a fellow Democrat, expressed his disapproval of Bichotte Hermelyn’s comments and sought to distance himself from her stance, highlighting that her views did not represent the entire Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Bichotte Hermelyn, however, stood firmly behind her position, underscoring that lower-income minority communities in Brooklyn had borne a disproportionate burden of housing shelters, both before and after the onset of the migrant crisis. She expressed disappointment in Brannan’s interpretation of her call for equitable support from all neighborhoods and pointed to the party’s consistent efforts to address disparities in migrant aid.

“The Brooklyn Democratic Party has consistently advocated for addressing the concerns of elected officials and party members regarding disparities in migrant aid,” emphasized Bichotte Hermelyn. “Low-income communities and communities of color have shouldered the brunt of shelters for years, well before the migrant crisis, further exacerbating a longstanding issue.”

Her unwavering stance was grounded in feedback from Democratic Party members, which indicated that certain neighborhoods, such as Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, and Brooklyn Heights, had not seen shelters, while low-income communities were grappling with an overwhelming presence of them.

Bichotte Hermelyn remained committed to her perspective, stating, “The overwhelming feedback from our Democratic Party members highlighted that communities like Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, and Brooklyn Heights have yet to see a shelter, while low-income communities, plagued by massive inequities, find themselves inundated.”

She also emphasized the party’s determination to address this issue and actively seek solutions. “The Brooklyn Democratic Party has consistently advocated for addressing the concerns of elected officials and party members regarding disparities in migrant aid,” she reiterated.

In this escalating political standoff, Bichotte Hermelyn continues to play a prominent role in representing the party’s position on the matter, underscoring the need for equitable distribution of responsibilities among neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, Ari Kagan, a Democratic councilman who has switched party affiliations to become a Republican, has become entangled in this political drama. Kagan is currently running against Justin Brannan in a reconfigured district that includes the Fort Hamilton Army base and Bay Ridge, the very neighborhoods that have become a focal point of the shelter distribution debate.

Brannan, responding to Kagan’s attack on his position regarding shelters, refuted Kagan’s claims and clarified that he had never advocated for using the Fort Hamilton Army base as a migrant shelter. Furthermore, Governor Kathy Hochul’s office confirmed that the federal government had not offered Fort Hamilton as a potential site for asylum seekers.

Kagan, however, doubled down on his criticism of Brannan, contending that Brannan had never publicly declared opposition to shelters in the district. He accused Brannan of attempting to straddle both sides of the issue, highlighting the political tensions within the Democratic Party.

While Bichotte Hermelyn remains steadfast in her assertion that certain neighborhoods have shouldered a disproportionate burden, Brannan and Kagan are caught in a political crossfire.