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Mayors of 18 cities in the United States wrote an open letter on Thursday addressed to President Barack Obama, offering to host more refugees than the 10,000 the government plans to receive by October 2016.
“As the mayors of cities across the country, we see first-hand the myriad of ways in which immigrants and refugees make our communities stronger economically, socially and culturally. We will welcome the Syrian families to make homes and new lives in our cities,” reads the letter.
The mayors who signed included New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
Newsletter
Mayors from NYC to LA stand together; call on the U.S. to accept more refugees amid Syrian crisis. #CitiesForAction http://t.co/l2UHOGJJMM
— Cities for Action (@citiesforaction)
septiembre 24, 2015
The letter comes as Pope Francis addressed Congress, urging action on climate change and a response to the refugee crisis that is “always humane, just and fraternal.”
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The idea of accepting more refugees is opposed by some Republicans, who believe that it would allow suspected “terrorists” to sneak into the country.
Republican lawmakers are also demanding the Obama administration show how it plans to cover costs associated with hosting such a large number of refugees.
The U.S. government offers aid for refugees for their first 90 days in the country while other support programs provide funding for up to five years.
A case study in the city of Cleveland carried out by Chumra Economics & Analytics firm in 2012 found that the entry of refugees to the city helped stimulate the local economy and generated US$ 2.7 million worth in tax revenues derived from their activities.
The study further found that the city had spent US$ 2.5 million in support for the refugees, most of which was spent in wages and salaries for staff members.
