U.S. mayors and their responses to Syrian refugees

• On this page:
• Context
• Role of Mayors
• Letter to Obama
• Mayoral positions

After attacks by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015, some U.S. mayors declared their support or opposition to Syrian refugee resettlement in their cities. The legal and political questions are summarized below, along with statements by mayors explaining their positions.

Context of the refugee crisis

Since the armed conflict in Syria began in 2011, the United Nations estimates that more than 12 million people (including more than 5 million children) have been displaced. At least four million Syrians have left their country to seek refuge in the Middle East and Europe. It has been described as one of the largest forced migrations—and one of the worst humanitarian crises—since World War II.

Only about 2,200 Syrians have been accepted for resettlement in the United States since 2011. The Obama administration has offered to take in as many as 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year.

What role do mayors play?

Refugee status and resettlement is determined by the U.S. State Department and a placement service. Mayors opposed to refugee resettlement only have the ability to refuse to support refugees placed in their municipality by the federal government. They do not have the power to prevent refugee resettlement itself. They can also request that local nonprofit groups refuse to support refugees in hopes that it will further dissuade federal employees from placing refugees there.

The Refugee Act of 1980 gives the president broad power over who is permitted to enter the United States. That includes refugees who face “persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,” especially if it involves an “unforeseen emergency refugee situation.” Federal authority over immigration law was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 2012 decision, Arizona v. United States.

Letter to President Obama

On September 24, 2015, 18 mayors signed a letter asking President Barack Obama (D) to increase the number of Syrian refugees the country would accept and stating that their cities were willing to house the refugees. All 18 mayors are members of the Cities United for Immigration Action coalition, a group who describes themselves as a "coalition of city governments who stand in support of stronger cities through immigration action." Mayors of America's three largest cities—Bill de Blasio (New York City), Eric Garcetti (Los Angeles) and Rahm Emanuel (Chicago)—all signed the letter. The mayors did not ask that the president increase the number of refugees by a specific amount. The following is the text of the full letter:

“

Dear President Obama: We commend your decision to open America’s doors to at least 10,000 Syrian refugees displaced by civil war, and applaud your commitment to increase the overall number of refugees the U.S. will resettle over the course of the next two years. This announcement is a vital initial step to honoring America’s commitment to support those fleeing oppression. As the mayors of cities across the country, we see first-hand the myriad ways in which immigrants and refugees make our communities stronger economically, socially and culturally. We will welcome the Syrian families to make homes and new lives in our cities. Indeed, we are writing to say that we stand ready to work with your Administration to do much more and to urge you to increase still further the number of Syrian refugees the United States will accept for resettlement. The surge of humanity fleeing war and famine is the largest refugee crisis since World War II. The United States is in a position to lead a global narrative of inclusion and support. This is a challenge we can meet, and the undersigned mayors stand ready to help you meet it. Our cities have been transformed by the skills and the spirit of those who come to us from around the world. The drive and enterprise of immigrants and refugees have helped build our economies, enliven our arts and culture, and enrich our neighborhoods. We have taken in refugees, and will help make room for thousands more. This is because the United States has developed a robust screening and background check that assures us that we know who we are welcoming into this country. With national security systems in place, we stand ready to support the Administration in increasing the numbers of refugees we can accept. With Pope Francis’ visit, we are mindful of his call for greater compassion in the face of this ongoing crisis and stand with you in supporting those 'journeying towards the hope of life.' Sincerely, Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown, PA Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor of Baltimore, MD Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston, MA James Diossa, Mayor of Central Falls, RI Mark Kleinschmidt, Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, IL Edward Terry, Mayor of Clarkston, GA Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton, OH Domenick Stampone, Mayor of Haledon, NJ Pedro E. Segarra, Mayor of Hartford, CT Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, CA Betsy Hodges, Mayor of Minneapolis, MN Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, NY Jose Torres, Mayor of Paterson, NJ William Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA Javier Gonzales, Mayor of Santa Fe, NM Francis G. Slay, Mayor of St. Louis, MO Stephanie A. Miner, Mayor of Syracuse, NY

”

Mayoral positions on refugee resettlements

City	Mayor	Position	Statement
Allentown, Pennsylvania	Ed Pawlowski (D)	Support	Mayor Pawlowski signed the letter to President Obama in support of accepting refugees.
Baltimore, Maryland	Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D)	Support	"Baltimore, Maryland and the United States have proud traditions of welcoming refugees seeking assistance from crises around the world. There are few among us who can claim that their ancestors were indigenous to the United States. Welcoming immigrants and New Americans is a critical part of my strategy to grow Baltimore, and I hope that refugees from Syria will look to our city as a potential place to call home."
Boston, Massachusetts	Martin Walsh (D)	Support	"As a city and as a country it is not our custom to turn our backs on people who are in need and who are innocent. We have yet to receive guidelines from the federal or state government on how they will move forward, however should we be told that Boston is accepting refugees, we will work with our partners at the federal, state and local levels to ensure the safety of Boston residents."
Central Falls, Rhode Island	James Diossa (D)	Support	Mayor Diossa signed the letter to President Obama in support of accepting refugees.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina	Mark Kleinschmidt (D)	Support	"To my Muslim friends and the whole community, I commit to you that we will not allow acts of terrorism to be wrongly connected to an entire group of people. I want to reassure you that you are respected, protected and supported. Our community is a place for everyone. Being true to the values of our welcoming, open and peace-loving town requires us to speak out."
Chicago, Illinois	Rahm Emanuel (D)	Support	Note: The Chicago City Council passed a resolution on November 18 establishing Chicago as a "sanctuary city" for refugees. "It cannot be in this moment when those in France have the courage to commit themselves to their values that we are weakened and walk away from. I'm honored that we've done this resolution. I'm honored that here in Chicago we speak up for what's right."
Cincinnati, Ohio	John Cranley (D)	Opposition	"While the City of Cincinnati is not involved and has no jurisdiction on this issue, the actions of the federal government affect the safety of Cincinnatians, which is my highest concern. I understand the dire circumstances Syrian refugees face because I personally visited a refugee camp in Jordan last summer. However, in light of recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut and Egypt, the federal government should halt its actions until the American people can be assured that exhaustive vetting has occurred."
Clarkston, Georgia	Edward Terry (D)	Support	"The reality is that extending a welcoming hand and relief for people who, through no fault of their own are caught up in this civil war, is an incredibly smart and powerful way to engender confidence and friendship across the Middle East and across the entire world."
Dallas, Texas	Mike Rawlings (D)	Support	"I would participate in any organized, thoroughly vetted program that the country asks Dallas to participate in to make sure people were resettled that were fleeing ISIS and fleeing the terror that is there."
Dayton, Ohio	Nan Whaley (D)	Support	"The City of Dayton does not have a role in the resettlement process of refugees. Should the decision be made to place refugees from any country in the City of Dayton, we will continue to be a leader in the welcoming movement and will champion inclusive communities that enable all residents to thrive."
Haledon, New Jersey	Domenick Stampone (D)	Support	"I agree with President Obama: there is no place in our nation for Islamophobia or fear-mongering #RefugeesWelcome."
Hartford, Connecticut	Pedro Segarra (D)	Support	Mayor Segarra signed the letter to President Obama in support of accepting refugees.
Houston, Texas	Annise Parker (D)	Support	"Not allowing refugees makes America look weak. It is the only humane thing to do."
Jacksonville, Florida	Lenny Curry (R)	Opposition	"We cannot allow those who would do us harm to use our principles and beliefs as a weakness to exploit, particularly when those who claim credit for the Paris attacks have promised attacks on United States soil."
Los Angeles, California	Eric Garcetti (D)	Support	Mayor Garcetti signed the letter to President Obama in support of accepting refugees.
Minneapolis, Minnesota	Betsy Hodges (D)	Support	Mayor Hodges signed the letter to President Obama in support of accepting refugees.
New Orleans, Louisiana	Mitch Landrieu (D)	Support	"Matters of national security are no place for politics. In New Orleans, we are working every day to make sure that our streets are safe. To that end, we routinely run coordinated homeland security exercises across city, state and federal agencies so that we are prepared should something occur."
New York, New York	Bill de Blasio (D)	Support	"It sends a horrible message to the world. It means we're turning our backs on the people who are the victims of terrorism. We're not going to turn our backs on children and families. It's not the American way. It's certainly not the New York City way."
Paterson, New Jersey	Jose Torres (D)	Support	Mayor Torres signed the letter to President Obama in support of accepting refugees.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Bill Peduto (D)	Support	"It always is going to come down to public safety, and I know that for some that is a difficult provision for me to state because of my willingness to allow Pittsburgh to become a safe home for those trying to flee the terrorists out of Syria. Terrorists work in a manner where they want fear and hysteria to reign."
Phoenix, Arizona	Greg Stanton (D)	Support	"Phoenix is recognized as one of the most welcoming communities for refugees from around the world, and as mayor, I'm committed to strengthening that reputation."
Roanoke, Virginia	David Bowers (D)	Opposition	"I'm reminded that President Franklin D. Roosevelt felt compelled to sequester Japanese foreign nationals after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and it appears that the threat of harm to America from Isis now is just as real and serious as that from our enemies then."
Santa Fe, New Mexico	Javier Gonzales (D)	Support	"The people fleeing Syria now are in some of the darkest days of their lives, running from the very terrorism we seek to fight. Basic American values call on us not to bar the way or abandon them to their fate."
St. Louis, Missouri	Francis Slay (D)	Support	"I have asked my staff to reassure all of our partners that the City will welcome refugees from Syria's violence."
Syracuse, New York	Stephanie A. Miner (D)	Support	"In continuing to talk to the White House, they have continued to share with us, that this scrutiny and the screening process happens at a very high level, and is very detailed. It’s a lengthy time consuming process. It’s necessary and it’s working...It’s understandable that in the face of such unspeakable violence, that people’s natural reaction is, ‘we don’t want that here.' But by reacting to the refugees, you’re reacting against the wrong group of people."
Tallahassee, Florida	Andrew Gillum (D)	Support	"I believe strongly that we cannot turn our backs on the refugee community in their time of greatest need. The U.S. vetting process for refugees is extremely rigorous, extensive, and comprehensive, and allows us to aid those that pose no threat to our country. Gov. Scott's stance is driven by divisive politics."
Tampa, Florida	Bob Buckhorn (D)	Support	"It's unfortunate that there are those who would choose to politicize this and demagogue an ethnicity and a country when the vast majority of the refugees who are coming are children."
Tulsa, Oklahoma	Dewey Bartlett Jr. (R)	Opposition	"In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, France, I strongly encourage you and your administration to immediately improve the procedures of evaluating and approving applications of individuals claiming refugee status. Secondly, I equally underscore the need for all of our borders to be secure and controlled. Until these needs are accomplished, I do not support the Syrian refugees being given access to this country beyond our borders."

See also

• 2016 presidential candidates on ISIS and Syrian refugees
• U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees

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