CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot today submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of State consenting to refugee resettlement in Chicago and opposing federal policies seeking to limit refugee entry to the United States. The letter was submitted per the guidelines of federal Executive Order 13888, which specifies that refugees may only be resettled in U.S. jurisdictions where state and local governments have provided their consent – an attempt by the Trump Administration to limit refugee resettlement. The Mayor's letteraffirms her administration's efforts to welcome refugees and support the organizations resettling them in Chicago.
“As a Welcoming City, Chicago is proud to submit our letter of consent to the State Department, ensuring our doors continue to remain open to refugees from around the world that are seeking a new home for themselves and a new future in our great country,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “It is especially fitting that we do so during this holiday season as we extend the blessings we received to those most in need. While the Trump Administration’s Executive Order stands as another expression of their cynical vision to undermine America’s heritage as a nation of immigrants, Chicago will continue to do everything it can to fight for our families, rise to our highest values, and remain a beacon of hope for families here at home and across the globe.”
In a display of solidarity, Chicago
joins cities, counties, and governors across the country that have consented to refugee resettlement. Mayor Lightfoot joined more than 80 mayors across the nation earlier this year in
urging the Trump Administration to rescind its executive order and to return refugee admissions to earlier annual levels.
Since taking office, Mayor Lightfoot has continuously shown strong support for Chicago’s immigrant and refugee populations, taking several measures to ensure Chicago’s status as a Welcoming City. Most recently, Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago City Council approved the Accountability on Communication and Transparency (ACT) ordinance, the largest expansion in Chicago’s immigration protections since the Welcoming City Ordinance was first adopted.
The Lightfoot administration has also worked to coordinate extensive measures across City departments to ensure Chicago's immigrant and refugee communities are afforded the same protections as any other resident group in the city--including directives to the Chicago Police Department to prevent data sharing and cooperation with ICE raids, new policies to ensure that ICE officials are not allowed to enter publicly owned facilities including schools, park district buildings, public housing and more without a warrant, and by directing additional funds to the Legal Aid Defense Fund as part of the City's 2020 budget.
In another show of support for refugees amid the uncertainty at the federal level, the Department of Law joined several other U.S. cities in an amicus brief earlier this year, HIAS, Inc. vs. Donald Trump, a suit which opposes the potential negative impact of federal policies for Chicago's refugee communities.
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