Latest Developments on refugee resettlement consent
As a result of the Trump administration’s recent executive order allowing states and localities to block refugee resettlement in their communities, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, along with its resettlement agency peers, has engaged communities nationwide to obtain consent for continued refugee resettlement.
Governors who have given consent
- Gov. Wolf (D-PA) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
- Gov. Whitmer (D-MI) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
- Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) Public Statement via Spokesperson
- Gov. Murphy (D-NJ) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
- Gov. Polis (D-CO) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
- Gov. Grisham (D-NM) Letter of Consent
- Gov. Baker (R-MA) Public Statement and Letter of Consent
- Gov. Kate Brown (D-OR) Letter of Consent and Tweet
- Gov. Gary Herbert (R-UT) Letter of Consent (& Salt Lake Tribune Article)
- Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) Letter of Consent
- Gov. Burgum (R-ND) Public Statement, Consent Letter, and AP article
- Gov. Northam (D-VA) Press Release and Letter of Consent
- Gov. Sununu (R-NH) Letter of Consent and AP Article
- Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT) Letter of Consent
- Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS) Letter of Consent and Press Release
- Governor Ducey (R-AZ) Letter of Consent and Article
- Governor Cooper (D-NC) Letter of Consent
- Governor Lamont (D-CT) Letter of Consent
- Governor John Carney (D-DE) Letter of Consent
- Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA) Letter of Consent
- Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) Letter of Consent and Press Release
- Governor Gina Raimondo (D-RI) Letter of Consent
- Governor Eric Holcomb (R-IN) Letter of Consent
- Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) Public Statement with Expected Consent and Letter of Consent
- Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) Letter of Consent, Press Release, and Letter to the Lt. Governor & State Speaker of the House
- Governor Tony Evers (D-WI) Letter of Consent
- Governor Janet Mills (D-ME) Letter of Consent
- Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK) Letter of Consent
- Governor Pete Ricketts (R-NE) Anticipated Consent via Spokesman
- Governor Steve Sisolak (D-NV) Letter of Consent
- Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) Article on Consent
- Governor Bashear (D-KY) anticipated consent
- Governor Justice (R-WV) Letter of Consent & Press Release
- Governor Edwards (D-LA) Letter of Consent and article
- Governor Hutchinson (R-AR) Letter of Consent and article
- Governor Newsom (D-CA) Letter of Consent
- Governor Parson (R-MO) Letter of Consent and article
- Governor Little (R-ID) Letters of Consent by county and article
- Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) Letter of Consent and article
- Governor Dunleavy (R-AK) Article on Consent
- Governor Cuomo (D-NY)
- Governor Phil Scott (R-VT) Article on Consent
Local Authorities who have given consent*
*Non-exhaustive list
- Mayor Ben Walsh – Syracuse, NY
- Mayor Jacob Frey Tweet of consent– Minneapolis, MN
- Mayor Andrew Ginther– Columbus, OH
- Mayor Steve Schewel and Letter of Consent – Durham, NC
- Mayor Jenny Durkan Letter of Consent – Seattle, WA
- Mayor Nancy Vaughan Letter of Consent – Greensboro, NC
- Alexandria City Council resolution, statement from Mayor Justin Wilson – Alexandria, VA
- Durham County, NC Board of Commissioners – Letter of Consent
- Knoxville City Council Consent – Knoxville, TN
- Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price (R) letter to Governor Abbott
- Erie County, NY – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Byron Brown Letter of Consent – Buffalo, NY
- Mayor Patti Garrett Letter of Consent – Decatur, GA
- Chatham County, GA – Letter of Consent
- Polk County, IA – Letter of Consent
- Warren County, KY – Letter of Consent
- Daviess County, KY – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Nicole LaChapelle Letter of Consent – Easthampton, MA
- Mayor Alex B. Morse Letter of Consent – Holyoke, MA
- Mayor David Narkewicz Letter of Consent – Northampton, MA
- Mayor Kimberly Driscoll Letter of Consent – Salem, MA
- Mayor John Engen Letter of Consent – Missoula, MT
- Mayor David Engen Letter of Consent – Grand Forks, ND
- Mayor Frank G. Jackson Letter of Consent – Cleveland, OH
- Mayor Michael P. Summers Letter of Consent – Lakewood, OH
- Mayor Timothy J. DeGeeter Letter of Consent – Parma, OH
- Mayor Nan Whaley Letter of Consent – Dayton, OH
- Erie County Pennsylvania – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Jorge O. Elorza Letter of Consent – Providence, RI
- Bexar County, TX – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Ron Nirenberg Letter of Consent – San Antonio, TX
- Mayor Levar Stoney Letter of Consent – Richmond, VA
- Kalamazoo County, MI – Letter of Consent
- Kandiyohi County, MN – Letter of Consent
- Pima County, AZ Letter of Consent – Pima County, AZ
- Mayor Kim Maggard Letter of Consent – Whitehall, OH
- Mayor Betsy Price Letter of Consent – Fort Worth, TX
- Mayor John Dailey Letter of Consent and Proclamation – Tallahassee, FL
- Burleigh County, ND – Commission Vote
- Franklin County, OH – Final Resolution / Commission and Article
- Mayor of Dallas Letter of Consent – Dallas, TX
- Mayor Thomas McNamara Letter of Consent – Rockford, IL
- Winnebago County, IL – Letter of Consent
- DuPage County, IL – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Jim Bouley Letter of Consent – Concord, NH
- Mayor Kate Gallego Letter of Consent – Phoenix, AZ
- Mayor Jonathan Rothschild Letter of Consent – Tucson, AZ
- Mayor Edward Terry Letter of Consent – Clarkston, GA
- Mayor William Reichelt Letter of Consent – West Springfield, MA
- City of Ypsilanti, MI – Council Resolution and Consent
- Olmsted County, MN Letter of Consent
- Mayor Lyda Krewson Letter of Consent – St. Louis, MO
- Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin Letter of Consent – Raleigh, NC
- Cass County, ND – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Alvin Brandl Letter of Consent – Madison, NE
- Mayor Jim Donchess Letter of Consent – Nashua, NH
- Mayor Joyce Craig Letter of Consent – Manchester, NH
- Hamilton County, OH – Letter of Consent
- Montgomery County, OH – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Lucy Vinis Letter of Consent – Eugene, OR
- Mayor Christine Lundberg Letter of Consent – Springfield, OR
- Mayor Wayne Evans Letter of Consent – Scranton, PA
- Mayor Andy Berke Letter of Consent – Chattanooga, TN
- Cache County, UT – Letter of Consent
- Salt Lake County, UT – Letter of Consent
- Weber County, UT – Letter of Consent
- Fairfax County, VA – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Sherman Lea, Sr. Letter of Consent – Roanoke, VA
- Mayor Kelli Linville Letter of Consent – Bellingham, WA
- Pierce County, WA – Letter of Consent
- Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway Letter of Consent – Madison, WI
- Mayor Fischer Letter of Consent – Louisville, KY
- Mayor Kenneth Miyagishima Letter of Consent – Las Cruces, NM
- Mayor William Peduto Letter of Consent – Pittsburgh, PA
- Mayor Mark Behnke Letter of Consent – Battle Creek, MI
- Macomb County, MI – Letter of Consent
- Washtenaw County, MI – Consent Resolution
- Wayne County, MI – Letter of Consent
- Oakland County, MI – Letter of Consent
- Mayor David Berger Letter of Consent – Lima, OH
- Mayor Martin Walsh Letter of Consent – Boston, MA
- Mayor Joe Hogsett Letter of Consent – Indianapolis, IN
- Dallas County, TX – Letter of Consent
- Ingham County, MI – Consent Resolution
- Mayor Stephen C.N. Kepley Letter of Consent – Kentwood, MI
- Las Vegas, NV – Article on Consent
- Henderson, NV – Article on Consent
- Reno, NV – Article on Consent
- Wake County NC – Letter of Consent
- Buncombe County NC – Letter of Consent
- Onondaga County, NY – Article on Consent
- Cook County, MN – Article on Consent
- Cumberland County, PA – Article on Consent
- Ramsey County, MN – Article on Consent
- Minnehaha County, SD – Article on Consent
- Boulder County, CO – Article on Consent
- Grand Traverse County, MI – Article on Consent
- New Castle County, DE – Article on Consent
- Utah County, UT – Article on Consent
- Otter Tail County, MN – Article on Consent
- Twin Falls County, ID – Article on Consent
- Spokane County, WA – Article on Consent
- Dane County, WI – Press Release on Consent
- Boone County, MO – Article on Consent
- Mecklenburg County, NC – Article on Consent
- Tarrant County, TX – Article on Consent
- Bernalillo County, NM – Article on Consent
- North Shore County, MN – Article on Consent
- Barry County, MI – Article on Consent
- St. Joseph County, MI – Article on Consent
- Missoula County, MT – Article on Consent
Legal Challenges to the Refugee Resettlement Executive Order
LIRS 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.
Thank you for truly doing God’s work. My Christian faith reminds me that my Lord & Savior, along with his earthly parents, was once a refugee (Matthew 2:13-15).
I do believe Atlanta, GA has also signed on. Can we still push our governors to sign?