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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2015.12.09 - 22156MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #15327 BY: Commissioners Dave Woodward, District #19 and Marcia Gershenson, District #13 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – SUPPORT FOR THE ACCEPTANCE AND PLACEMENT OF ADDITIONAL SYRIAN, IRAQI, AND OTHER REFUGEES IN MICHIGAN AND IN OAKLAND COUNTY To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS the Michigan House of Representatives has adopted House Resolution 9, sponsored by Representatives Klint Kesto and Martin Howrylak, to "urge the President of the United States to allow an additional 25,000 refugee visas for displaced Iraqis, being the Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Yazidis displaced because of their faith"; and WHEREAS HR 9 further "urge(s) that these refugees be given preference for placement in the state of Michigan"; and WHEREAS HR 9 states "The recent crisis in Syria and Iraq has forced hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, largely from religious minorities in the region—many of which are Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Yazidis—from their hometowns that have been ransacked by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Those displaced persons are unable to return to their homes, and most do not have access to resources needed to fulfill basic needs, including food, water, and shelter. Moreover, these refugees face constant fear of persecution due to nothing more than the faith they claim, and their pronouncement of faith has led to violence as explicit as crucifixions, beheadings, and slavery. Minimal support has been offered to many of the more than three million Iraqis refugees, two million of which were displaced last year alone, and those fortunate to remain in temporary shelters are overburdening and overcrowding neighboring nations and communities who stand on constant guard for fear that they will be the next target of ISIL. As this regional conflict endures, the displacement and imminent migration and persecution of refugees will continue"; and WHEREAS there are currently 4 million displaced Syrians and 4 million displaced Iraqis; and WHEREAS Michigan is third in the nation in the number of refugee arrivals; and WHEREAS Oakland County has long been home to refugee resettlement agencies like Lutheran Social Services of Michigan; and WHEREAS of all refugee arrivals into Michigan, 17% resettle in Oakland Co; and WHEREAS we enjoy a long history of contributions from refugees than came to Oakland County from many countries, and a strong history of immigration from Syria and Iraq; and WHEREAS the estimated impact of refugee resettlement in metro Detroit (extrapolated from a study that was done of the Cleveland area, which receives less than one-quarter of the number of refugees that southeast Michigan receives) is somewhere around $200 million in economic impact and 2,730 jobs; and WHEREAS the United States, as party to the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees and abiding by its State Department obligations, has a moral and ethical obligation to protect he rights of asylum seekers and refugees; and WHEREAS the United States has long stood as a safe harbor and a beacon of hope for oppressed people around the world seeking protection and refuge from harassment or oppression at home because of their race, religion, nationality, public opinion, or social association; and WHEREAS following the end of the Vietnam War, the United States government assisted in the immigration of over 500,000 Vietnamese refugees and orphans; and WHEREAS the European Commission has reported that European Union countries that have accepted an "influx of people from Syria and other conflict zones is likely having a positive effect on growth, employment rates, and long-term public finances in the most affected countries" and that the acceptance of refugees is resulting in a "sizable economic impact"; and WHEREAS the process for Syrians and others seeking refugee status in the United States includes an average of 12 to 18 months vetting period with a security clearance process that includes the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department, the National Counterterrorism Center, Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and WHEREAS Syrian refugees must undergo an additional, more intensive "Syrian Enhanced Review" conducted by national security agencies prior to approval to enter the United States; and WHEREAS Oakland County draws great strength from the growing diversity of its residents and their cultural heritage; and WHEREAS County Executive L. Brooks Patterson recently authored a directive to county departments under his control prohibiting any action in support of a proposed project to house Syrian refugees in the City of Pontiac ; and WHEREAS Executive Patterson issued a press release headlined "Patterson Demands Pontiac Not Accept Syrian Refugees" and authored a letter to Pontiac Mayor Deidre Waterman urging that the City ChairPelson, I movel ption of the fotegoing Resolution. Commissioner Marcia Geiihenson District *19 District *13 withdraw support for a project that would provide housing, education and work opportunities for Syrian refugees; and WHEREAS Executive Patterson's statements and press release explain his rationale: "there is now indisputable evidence (I refer to the Syrian passport recovered in Paris) that the ranks of the refugees have been and will continue to be infiltrated by those who would harm or kill us"; and WHEREAS international authorities have confirmed that the Syrian passport found at the scene of the Paris attack was fake and the German Interior Minister has suggested that the "passport found at the bombing scene might be a "false trail" placed deliberately by the Islamic State attackers to turn public opinion against Syrian refugees."; and WHEREAS efforts to halt acceptance of refugees in our community based upon incomplete or incorrect information does not reflect the spirit of acceptance, humanitarian compassion and integrity that mark Oakland County and our country at its best; and WHEREAS all people should have the opportunity to build better lives for themselves and their families free from oppression, violence, and persecution. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners supports the acceptance and settlement of Syrian and other refugees in Michigan. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Oakland County Boards of Commissioners affirm their support for Michigan House Resolution 9. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Oakland County is committed to being a more diverse, inclusive, global community and provide those most vulnerable with humanitarian relief and the security needed to be safe engaged members of the community. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Oakland is directed to submit a copy of this resolution to the Board's legislative lobbyists, the Office of the Governor, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader and the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature. Resolution #15327 December 9, 2015 Moved by Woodward supported by Zack to suspend the rules and vote on Miscellaneous Resolution #15327 — Board of Commissioners — Support for the Acceptance and Placement of Additional Syrian, Iraqi, and Other Refugees in Michigan and in Oakland County. Discussion followed. Vote on motion to suspend the rules: AYES: McGillivray, Quarles, Woodward, Zack, Bowman, Dwyer, Gershenson, Jackson. (8) NAYS: KowaII, Long, Middleton, Scott, Spisz, Taub, Weipert, Crawford, Fleming, Gingell, Gosselin, Hoffman, Kocheriderfer. (13) A sufficient majority having not voted in favor, the motion to suspend the rules and vote on Miscellaneous Resolution #15327 — Board of Commissioners — Support for the Acceptance and Placement of Additional Syrian, Iraqi, and Other Refugees in Michigan and in Oakland County failed. Discussion followed The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no objections.