The mayor of Swisher, a Johnson County town of about 900 people, on Wednesday issued a proclamation saying the town welcomes all visitors and prospective residents, including refugees.
Mayor Christopher Taylor joins numerous U.S. mayors offering formal welcomes to Syrian refugees after governors in at least 27 states, including Iowa, issued statements opposing the acceptance of Syrian refugees following the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.
At least one Swisher city councilor opposes the proclamation. But mayors in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty spoke in favor of welcoming and assisting refugees. The mayors said that their councils have not formally addressed the issue, and that they are unsure how many Syrian refugees are living in the Johnson County area.
Taylor's proclamation, which the full council did not discuss, says he "directed city staff to render to all such persons any aid or assistance as may be appropriate."
He said in an interview that, while he doubts any Syrian refugees live in Swisher, he hopes the proclamation will encourage people to accept refugees and avoid falling into "patterns of fear and suspicion."
Taylor said he sought to remind people that "we have an obligation to make accommodations for people that are just trying to make their lives better and make the lives of their family better.”
Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday ordered state agencies to halt any work on Syrian refugee resettlements, saying he wanted to maintain safety and security in Iowa.
Although federal programs work to place refugees in states, state agencies help them find housing and assistance once they arrive. Ben Hammes, communications director for the governor’s office, has said that if the federal government decides to place Syrian refugees in Iowa, those services would no longer be available to the refugees as a result of Branstad’s action Monday.
Asked about Taylor's proclamation Wednesday, Hammes sent an email message reiterating that Branstad believes Iowa must have compassion for others while also maintaining "the safety of Iowans and the security of our state."
"Gov. Branstad believes that until a thorough and thoughtful review is conducted by the intelligence community and the safety of Iowans can be assured, the federal government should not resettle any Syrian refugees in Iowa," Hammes said.
Swisher City Council member Sandy Fults said she thinks Branstad made the right decision, and said she wishes Taylor had consulted the council before issuing the proclamation. She said she would have opposed it.
Fults said that, although she welcomes newcomers to Swisher and believes the United States should be a melting pot of cultures, recent terrorist activity makes her leery about Syrian refugees entering the nation. She said she wants to "get a better handle" on who comes into the country.
"There's a lot of mixed emotions on this one. There's a lot of evil in the world," she said.
However, North Liberty Mayor Amy Nielsen said she plans to start discussion at Tuesday's city council meeting of a proclamation to welcome Syrian refugees to North Liberty.
She said that, while a city's proclamation cannot override the governor's actions, it would send a message that Branstad's actions are "not what this community stands for.”
Coralville Mayor John Lundell said that he does not anticipate the Coralville City Council will take up discussion of Syrian refugees, but that he thinks "Coralville would be as welcome to refugees as anybody else who wants to come and live here."
Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek said in an email that he thinks Branstad's actions are inconsistent with Iowa's history of helping displaced people, citing former Gov. Bob Ray’s work in the 1970s with refugees from southeast Asia as an example.
"The federal government’s process to screen refugees is deliberate and comprehensive. For Iowa to close the door would be reactionary and uninformed," Hayek said.
He said he believes the community in Iowa City "would do its part to help with the crisis."
Newman Abuissa was born in Syria but came to Iowa City 26 years ago. He said he is working with groups — including Peace Iowa, Iowa Veterans for Peace, the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights and the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America — to find housing for refugees who may come to Iowa.
“We are hoping we can open our doors to people who have been rejected by other states,” he said.
Abuissa said, as far as he knows, there are no Syrian nationals already in the Iowa City area who are actively seeking asylum.
“The Syrian people are the victims of ISIS, and those refugees have been suffering for three or four years,” he said. “They are running away from the atrocities that are going on. We cannot blame them for what ISIS is doing.”
The University of Iowa Human Rights Student Collective, which advocates for human rights, also has been offering a series of events as part of Refugee Relief Month.
The group is holding a pancake supper starting at 5 p.m. Thursday in Old Brick Church, and will donate money raised to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
“It is imperative that people know that refugees do not have a choice,” said Carter Yerkes, a UI senior and director of the collective. “They are not immigrants. They are fleeing from danger and immediate harm. Closing the borders of our country — as Iowa’s governor and senators have proposed — is xenophobic, disheartening and saddening. It does not reflect the Iowa I grew up in, that I go to school in and that I love.”
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2015/11/18/swishers-mayor-welcomes-refugees/75996228/
Mayor Christopher Taylor joins numerous U.S. mayors offering formal welcomes to Syrian refugees after governors in at least 27 states, including Iowa, issued statements opposing the acceptance of Syrian refugees following the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.
At least one Swisher city councilor opposes the proclamation. But mayors in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty spoke in favor of welcoming and assisting refugees. The mayors said that their councils have not formally addressed the issue, and that they are unsure how many Syrian refugees are living in the Johnson County area.
Taylor's proclamation, which the full council did not discuss, says he "directed city staff to render to all such persons any aid or assistance as may be appropriate."
He said in an interview that, while he doubts any Syrian refugees live in Swisher, he hopes the proclamation will encourage people to accept refugees and avoid falling into "patterns of fear and suspicion."
Taylor said he sought to remind people that "we have an obligation to make accommodations for people that are just trying to make their lives better and make the lives of their family better.”
Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday ordered state agencies to halt any work on Syrian refugee resettlements, saying he wanted to maintain safety and security in Iowa.
Although federal programs work to place refugees in states, state agencies help them find housing and assistance once they arrive. Ben Hammes, communications director for the governor’s office, has said that if the federal government decides to place Syrian refugees in Iowa, those services would no longer be available to the refugees as a result of Branstad’s action Monday.
Asked about Taylor's proclamation Wednesday, Hammes sent an email message reiterating that Branstad believes Iowa must have compassion for others while also maintaining "the safety of Iowans and the security of our state."
"Gov. Branstad believes that until a thorough and thoughtful review is conducted by the intelligence community and the safety of Iowans can be assured, the federal government should not resettle any Syrian refugees in Iowa," Hammes said.
Swisher City Council member Sandy Fults said she thinks Branstad made the right decision, and said she wishes Taylor had consulted the council before issuing the proclamation. She said she would have opposed it.
Fults said that, although she welcomes newcomers to Swisher and believes the United States should be a melting pot of cultures, recent terrorist activity makes her leery about Syrian refugees entering the nation. She said she wants to "get a better handle" on who comes into the country.
"There's a lot of mixed emotions on this one. There's a lot of evil in the world," she said.
However, North Liberty Mayor Amy Nielsen said she plans to start discussion at Tuesday's city council meeting of a proclamation to welcome Syrian refugees to North Liberty.
She said that, while a city's proclamation cannot override the governor's actions, it would send a message that Branstad's actions are "not what this community stands for.”
Coralville Mayor John Lundell said that he does not anticipate the Coralville City Council will take up discussion of Syrian refugees, but that he thinks "Coralville would be as welcome to refugees as anybody else who wants to come and live here."
Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek said in an email that he thinks Branstad's actions are inconsistent with Iowa's history of helping displaced people, citing former Gov. Bob Ray’s work in the 1970s with refugees from southeast Asia as an example.
"The federal government’s process to screen refugees is deliberate and comprehensive. For Iowa to close the door would be reactionary and uninformed," Hayek said.
He said he believes the community in Iowa City "would do its part to help with the crisis."
Newman Abuissa was born in Syria but came to Iowa City 26 years ago. He said he is working with groups — including Peace Iowa, Iowa Veterans for Peace, the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights and the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America — to find housing for refugees who may come to Iowa.
“We are hoping we can open our doors to people who have been rejected by other states,” he said.
Abuissa said, as far as he knows, there are no Syrian nationals already in the Iowa City area who are actively seeking asylum.
“The Syrian people are the victims of ISIS, and those refugees have been suffering for three or four years,” he said. “They are running away from the atrocities that are going on. We cannot blame them for what ISIS is doing.”
The University of Iowa Human Rights Student Collective, which advocates for human rights, also has been offering a series of events as part of Refugee Relief Month.
The group is holding a pancake supper starting at 5 p.m. Thursday in Old Brick Church, and will donate money raised to the U.N. Refugee Agency.
“It is imperative that people know that refugees do not have a choice,” said Carter Yerkes, a UI senior and director of the collective. “They are not immigrants. They are fleeing from danger and immediate harm. Closing the borders of our country — as Iowa’s governor and senators have proposed — is xenophobic, disheartening and saddening. It does not reflect the Iowa I grew up in, that I go to school in and that I love.”
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2015/11/18/swishers-mayor-welcomes-refugees/75996228/
