West Chester Passes Resolution Welcoming Refugees To Borough

WEST CHESTER, PA — A new resolution passed by the West Chester borough council formally welcomes refugees facing "religious, ethnic, and political persecution" into the borough.

The resolution notes President Trump's order from September that declares refugees should be resettled only where local and state governments have consented to as much.

As Gov. Wolf had previously sent consent that the state could welcome refugees, West Chester's resolution is the next step in the process.

The resolution now places the borough under the Department of State's "Reception and Placement Program," which provides initial resettlement services to newly arriving refugees.

"The Borough has an interest in supporting families and religious institutions who would like to facilitate the arrival and integration of refugees into the Borough community," the resolution reads in part.

An important distinction: the resolution does not make West Chester a "sanctuary city" or compromise other funding sources.