City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 16, 2019
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Resolution in Response to Presidential Executive Order #1388 related to Restricting Refugee Resettlement in States and Localities. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Indicating support for continued refugee resettlement in the City of Alexandria.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council adopt the attached resolution affirming the City's support for the resettlement of refugees in the City of Alexandria, and direct that a copy of this resolution be provided to the executive and legislative branches of the governments of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
BACKGROUND: On September 26, 2019 President Trump signed executive order #13888 entitled "Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement" which requires that the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services seek consent from state and local authorities prior to continuing ongoing refugee resettlement activities. Despite its title, this Executive Order is aimed at further restricting the flow of refugees into the United States by allowing states and localities within those states to decline the placement of refugees within those states and localities. To continue to allow refugee resettlement in a locality, both a state and a locality within that state would have to affirmatively indicate their willingness to allow refugee resettlements to occur.
Open refugee resettlement in the United States has long been a an operating principle of the United States government, but now as another step in limiting the flow of refugees into the United States, President Trump has signed an executive order to further limit and/or make more difficult refugee resettlement into the United States.
The City of Alexandria has long embraced ...
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