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Press Release // Refugee Resettlement

Latest Developments on Refugee Resettlement Consent

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Global Refuge Staff

January 2, 2020

As a result of the Trump administration's recent executive order allowing states and localities to block refugee resettlement in their communities, Global Refuge, along with its resettlement agency peers, has engaged communities nationwide to obtain consent for continued refugee resettlement.

Governors who have given consent

  1. Gov. Wolf (D-PA) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
  2. Gov. Whitmer (D-MI) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
  3. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) Public Statement via Spokesperson
  4. Gov. Murphy (D-NJ) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
  5. Gov. Polis (D-CO) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
  6. Gov. Grisham (D-NM) Letter of Consent
  7. Gov. Baker (R-MA) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
  8. Gov. Kate Brown (D-OR) Letter of Consent and Tweet
  9. Gov. Gary Herbert (R-UT) Letter of Consent (& Salt Lake Tribune Article)
  10. Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) Letter of Consent
  11. Gov. Burgum (R-ND) Public Statement, Consent Letter, and AP article
  12. Gov. Northam (D-VA) Press Release and Letter of Consent 
  13. Gov. Sununu (R-NH) Letter of Consent and AP Article
  14. Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT) Letter of Consent
  15. Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) Letter of Consent and Press Release
  16. Governor Ducey (R-AZ) Letter of Consent and Article
  17. Governor Cooper (D-NC) Letter of Consent
  18. Governor Lamont (D-CT) Letter of Consent
  19. Governor John Carney (D-DE) Letter of Consent
  20. Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA) Letter of Consent
  21. Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) Letter of Consent and Press Release
  22. Governor Gina Raimondo (D-RI) Letter of Consent
  23. Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) Letter of Consent
  24. Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) Public Statement with Expected Consent and Letter of Consent
  25. Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) Letter of Consent, Press Release, and Letter to the Lt. Governor & State Speaker of the House
  26. Governor Tony Evers (D-WI) Letter of Consent
  27. Governor Janet Mills (D-ME) Letter of Consent
  28. Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK) Letter of Consent
  29. Governor Pete Ricketts (R-NE) Anticipated Consent via Spokesman
  30. Governor Steve Sisolak (D-NV) Letter of Consent
  31. Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) Article on Consent
  32. Governor Bashear (D-KY) anticipated consent 
  33. Governor Justice (R-WV) Letter of Consent & Press Release
  34. Governor Edwards (D-LA) Letter of Consent and article
  35. Governor Hutchinson (R-AR) Letter of Consent and article
  36. Governor Newsom (D-CA) Letter of Consent
  37. Governor Parson (R-MO) Letter of Consent and article
  38. Governor Little (R-ID) Letters of Consent by county and article
  39. Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) Letter of Consent and article
  40. Governor Dunleavy (R-AK) Article on Consent
  41. Governor Cuomo (D-NY)
  42. Governor Phil Scott (R-VT) Article on Consent

Local Authorities who have given consent*

*Non-exhaustive list

  1. Mayor Ben Walsh – Syracuse, NY
  2. Mayor Jacob Frey Tweet of consent– Minneapolis, MN
  3. Mayor Andrew Ginther– Columbus, OH
  4. Mayor Steve Schewel and Letter of Consent – Durham, NC
  5. Mayor Jenny Durkan Letter of Consent – Seattle, WA
  6. Mayor Nancy Vaughan Letter of Consent – Greensboro, NC
  7. Alexandria City Council resolution, statement from Mayor Justin Wilson – Alexandria, VA
  8. Durham County, NC Board of Commissioners – Letter of Consent
  9. Knoxville City Council Consent – Knoxville, TN
  10. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price (R) letter to Governor Abbott
  11. Erie County, NY – Letter of Consent
  12. Mayor Byron Brown Letter of Consent – Buffalo, NY
  13. Mayor Patti Garrett Letter of Consent – Decatur, GA
  14. Chatham County, GA – Letter of Consent
  15. Polk County, IA – Letter of Consent
  16. Warren County, KY – Letter of Consent
  17. Daviess County, KY – Letter of Consent
  18. Mayor Nicole LaChapelle Letter of Consent – Easthampton, MA
  19. Mayor Alex B. Morse Letter of Consent – Holyoke, MA
  20. Mayor David Narkewicz Letter of Consent – Northampton, MA
  21. Mayor Kimberly Driscoll Letter of Consent – Salem, MA
  22. Mayor John Engen Letter of Consent – Missoula, MT
  23. Mayor David Engen Letter of Consent – Grand Forks, ND
  24. Mayor Frank G. Jackson Letter of Consent – Cleveland, OH
  25. Mayor Michael P. Summers Letter of Consent – Lakewood, OH
  26. Mayor Timothy J. DeGeeter Letter of Consent – Parma, OH
  27. Mayor Nan Whaley Letter of Consent – Dayton, OH
  28. Erie County Pennsylvania – Letter of Consent
  29. Mayor Jorge O. Elorza Letter of Consent – Providence, RI
  30. Bexar County, TX – Letter of Consent
  31. Mayor Ron Nirenberg Letter of Consent – San Antonio, TX
  32. Mayor Levar Stoney Letter of Consent – Richmond, VA
  33. Kalamazoo County, MI – Letter of Consent
  34. Kandiyohi County, MN – Letter of Consent
  35. Pima County, AZ Letter of Consent – Pima County, AZ
  36. Mayor Kim Maggard Letter of Consent – Whitehall, OH
  37. Mayor Betsy Price Letter of Consent – Fort Worth, TX
  38. Mayor John Dailey Letter of Consent and Proclamation – Tallahassee, FL
  39. Burleigh County, ND – Commission Vote
  40. Franklin County, OH – Final Resolution / Commission and Article
  41. Mayor of Dallas Letter of Consent – Dallas, TX
  42. Mayor Thomas McNamara Letter of Consent – Rockford, IL
  43. Winnebago County, IL – Letter of Consent
  44. DuPage County, IL – Letter of Consent
  45. Mayor Jim Bouley Letter of Consent – Concord, NH
  46. Mayor Kate Gallego Letter of Consent – Phoenix, AZ
  47. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild Letter of Consent – Tucson, AZ
  48. Mayor Edward Terry Letter of Consent – Clarkston, GA
  49. Mayor William Reichelt Letter of Consent – West Springfield, MA
  50. City of Ypsilanti, MI – Council Resolution and Consent
  51. Olmsted County, MN  Letter of Consent
  52. Mayor Lyda Krewson Letter of Consent – St. Louis, MO
  53. Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin Letter of Consent – Raleigh, NC
  54. Cass County, ND – Letter of Consent
  55. Mayor Alvin Brandl Letter of Consent – Madison, NE
  56. Mayor Jim Donchess Letter of Consent – Nashua, NH
  57. Mayor Joyce Craig Letter of Consent – Manchester, NH
  58. Hamilton County, OH – Letter of Consent
  59. Montgomery County, OH – Letter of Consent
  60. Mayor Lucy Vinis Letter of Consent – Eugene, OR
  61. Mayor Christine Lundberg Letter of Consent – Springfield, OR
  62. Mayor Wayne Evans Letter of Consent – Scranton, PA
  63. Mayor Andy Berke Letter of Consent – Chattanooga, TN
  64. Cache County, UT – Letter of Consent
  65. Salt Lake County, UT – Letter of Consent
  66. Weber County, UT – Letter of Consent
  67. Fairfax County, VA – Letter of Consent
  68. Mayor Sherman Lea, Sr. Letter of Consent – Roanoke, VA
  69. Mayor Kelli Linville Letter of Consent – Bellingham, WA
  70. Pierce County, WA – Letter of Consent
  71. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway Letter of Consent – Madison, WI
  72. Mayor Fischer Letter of Consent – Louisville, KY
  73. Mayor Kenneth Miyagishima Letter of Consent – Las Cruces, NM
  74. Mayor William Peduto Letter of Consent – Pittsburgh, PA
  75. Mayor Mark Behnke Letter of Consent – Battle Creek, MI
  76. Macomb County, MI – Letter of Consent
  77. Washtenaw County, MI – Consent Resolution
  78. Wayne County, MI – Letter of Consent
  79. Oakland County, MI – Letter of Consent
  80. Mayor David Berger Letter of Consent – Lima, OH
  81. Mayor Martin Walsh Letter of Consent – Boston, MA
  82. Mayor Joe Hogsett Letter of Consent – Indianapolis, IN
  83. Dallas County, TX – Letter of Consent
  84. Ingham County, MI – Consent Resolution
  85. Mayor Stephen C.N. Kepley Letter of Consent – Kentwood, MI
  86. Las Vegas, NV – Article on Consent
  87. Henderson, NV – Article on Consent
  88. Reno, NV – Article on Consent
  89. Wake County NC – Letter of Consent
  90. Buncombe County NC –  Letter of Consent
  91. Onondaga County, NY – Article on Consent
  92. Cook County, MN – Article on Consent
  93. Cumberland County, PA – Article on Consent
  94. Ramsey County, MN – Article on Consent
  95. Minnehaha County, SD – Article on Consent
  96.  Boulder County, CO – Article on Consent
  97. Grand Traverse County, MI – Article on Consent
  98. New Castle County, DE – Article on Consent
  99. Utah County, UT – Article on Consent
  100. Otter Tail County, MN – Article on Consent
  101. Twin Falls County, ID – Article on Consent
  102. Spokane County, WA – Article on Consent
  103. Dane County, WI – Press Release on Consent
  104. Boone County, MO – Article on Consent
  105. Mecklenburg County, NC – Article on Consent
  106. Tarrant County, TX – Article on Consent
  107. Bernalillo County, NM – Article on Consent
  108. North Shore County, MN – Article on Consent
  109. Barry County, MI – Article on Consent
  110. St. Joseph County, MI – Article on Consent
  111. Missoula County, MT – Article on Consent

Legal Challenges to the Refugee Resettlement Executive Order

Global Refuge and two other resettlement agencies have challenged President Trump’s executive order giving state and local officials authority to block refugee resettlement in their jurisdictions. This unprecedented order could prevent refugees who have waited years from being reunited with their U.S.-based families, and prohibit communities from welcoming refugees, even if they have long-standing and successful resettlement programs.

The lawsuit charges that the order is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to dismantle the nearly 40-year-old federal resettlement infrastructure and restrict refugees from entering the United States. Oral arguments are scheduled to begin in federal court on January 8, 2020 in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Learn more about our lawsuit here.

UPDATE: A federal judge has granted our motion for a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking the executive order that requires state and local consent for all refugee resettlement. Learn more here.

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