GRAND RAPIDS CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — In September, President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying that state and local governments could decide whether or not they will accept refugees. In response, Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wrote a letter Friday saying the state will continue to welcome refugees.
In doing so, Michigan became the 16th state or municipality to send its written consent to the state department regarding that executive order.
In Whitmer's letter, she highlights Michigan's track record with refugees.
“Michigan has a rich history of welcoming refugees and other immigrants to our state,” the governor said in a statement announcing the letter, which was sent to the State Department on Tuesday. “We recognize the value of being a welcoming state, and the contribution of refugees to the fabric of our communities. I am committed to ensuring that we remain a leader in responding to the needs of globally displaced families and individuals.”
David Apol and Marcia Elders, the founders of Thrive Refugee Support Program in Grand Rapids, said Whitmer's support is a win for the refugee community in West Michigan.
"That Governor Whitmer has responded with this letter and just said, 'these are our new neighbors—these are—and we need to be here' is just very heartening to us. It encourages us to continue on," Apol said.
Thrive Refugee Support Program works with local refugees to help them adjust to life in the United States. Elders said the group helps provide English classes and life skills, like buying a home.
"We have so much. And to be able to receive people who have so little is a good thing," Elders said.
Trump's executive order for state and local involvement in refugee settlement, said the policy for written consent provides a respectful avenue for areas that may not be able to accommodate refugee settlement.
"State and local governments are best positioned to know the resources and capacities they may or may not have available to devote to sustainable resettlement, which maximizes the likelihood refugees placed in the area will become self-sufficient and free from long-term dependence on public assistance," it reads.
The executive order falls in line with the Trump administration's policies regarding refugees. Since Trump took office, the federal government has slashed the number of refugees allowed into the country. The new cap for refugees admitted into the United States is 18,000—the lowest number since the resettlement program was created in 1980.
However, Apol said he believes the U.S. has the means to help.
"It (Trump's refugee policy) has totally upset our refugee relationship is around the world. It’s not just here in Kentwood and Grand Rapids. We’ve upset this haven and this place that we call home by believing that they (refugees) shouldn’t be here. I always say we have the resources. We really do have the resources to take these people in, and I think we will rewrite our relationship to the world," he said.
The State Department currently lists 15 states or cities that have written letters of consent to accept refugees.
RELATED VIDEO:
Other stories on 13 ON YOUR SIDE:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.