Statements issued by Mayor de Blasio and the Cities United for Immigration Action coalition
Dear colleagues,
Below are statements issued by Mayor de Blasio and the Cities United for Immigration Action coalition, comprised of nearly 100 mayors across the country, on Syrian refugee admissions. We hope these are useful to your own advocacy and responses to press, should you receive inquiries. If you have questions, feel free to contact me.
Syrian Refugees:
“We should not close our borders to any group of people fleeing the atrocities and horrors of terrorism. To do so is to hand terrorists a victory over our democracy, strengthened over the years by Americans who died or risked their lives for it. We are a strong country. We can protect our country with the appropriate and intensive screening and accept refugees seeking our protection at the same time. New York City is a proud immigrant city, and we will not turn our back on that history or the people being persecuted and fleeing war.”
Governor Chris Christie Comment:
“Because Chris Christie is an elected official, his comment is an embarrassment to this country. If he were in any other profession, it would be dismissed out of hand for the callous, heartless and prejudiced statement that it is.”
Donald Trump Comment:
“First and foremost, we always will abide by the U.S. Constitution which prohibits discrimination against religions. We will adhere to the words of our Founding Fathers, not Donald Trump. Mosques don’t commit acts of terrorism. People do. NYPD will investigate the crime, not close down places of worship. Finally, NYPD is recognized today as having the top anti-terrorism unit in the world. Our anti-terrorism efforts continue to evolve and improve as we’ve become more knowledgeable about activities across the globe.”
Muslim-Americans and Muslims living in NYC:
“Muslim New Yorkers are a crucial ally in the fight against terrorism. ISIS does not discriminate and has killed members of many races and religion. The Muslim community is as deeply concerned about terrorism as other communities are. NYPD investigates the crime, not a group of people. That will not change.”
And, here is the statement from Cities United for Immigration Action:
“Our hearts go out to the people of Paris and those impacted by these senseless acts of violence. The American values of freedom and opportunity define who we are as a country, and to extend that promise to Syrian families seeking refuge from the threat of terror is imperative. As municipal leaders, we seek always to protect our communities, while we honor the diversity and growth of our cities and counties. The United States has a robust screening and background check system that ensures our safety and security is protected, as we welcome those in need of refuge onto our shores.”
Best,
Nisha Agarwal | Commissioner
NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
