Hundreds of advocates for immigrants and refugees showed up at the Georgia State Capitol this week. Their goal was to ensure that Georgia continues to welcome resettled refugees and other immigrants.
Thursday was the seventh annual New Americans Celebration. But at this year’s event, an executive order from President Donald Trump was on some attendee’s minds. The order requires state and local governments to provide written consent to accept refugees.
More than 40 states have already said they will accept refugees. Georgia was not one of them.
Before Gov. Brian Kemp had the option to provide consent, a federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order.
Justine Okello, who is from Uganda, said though the issue is now in limbo, he’d still like the Governor to take a stand.
“It’s in the words that we say that convey how we feel,” Okello said. “So if Governor Kemp could actually just say something … say, you know, Georgia has always been welcoming, and it’s going to continue being a welcoming state.”
Cities such as Atlanta and Decatur have already said they will welcome refugees.
J.D. McCrary is the executive director Metro Atlanta branch of the resettlement agency International Rescue Committee. At an event the agency hosted last month called “The State of Resettlement,” he remained hopeful that Georgia will continue to be friendly to newcomers.
“We are optimistic that Georgia will do the right thing in continuing to accept refugees,” he said.
The legal challenge to Trump’s order has not been decided. President Trump has set the number of refugees allowed to be resettled in the country to 18,000. That’s the lowest since President Jimmy Carter signed the Refugee Act in 1980.
The Governor’s Office said it has no comment since the issue is tied up in court.
The rally at the Capitol on Thursday was also used to talk to state lawmakers about bills introduced at the statehouse that concern immigrants.
For Jim Neal, chair of the Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies, that means opposing legislation that he said doesn’t create a welcoming climate for immigrants.
“For example, this session, House Bill 915 – the Georgia Anti-Sanctuary Act – we were encouraging our representatives not to support,” he said.
House Bill 915, introduced early this month, would penalize local governments that do not enforce federal immigration law.
Neal and others also rallied their support of HB 896. It would allow certain undocumented Georgians to pay in-state tuition.
