Refugee Resettlement Announcement (Tuesday: 11am)

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz will join the leaders of four local refugee resettlement agencies tomorrow, Tuesday December 3 at 11:00 AM at the International Institute of Buffalo to publicly announce a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo indicating Erie County’s intention to consent to initial refugee resettlement in the county as part of the recently-issued federal Executive Order 13888.

On September 26, 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order 13888 (EO), which will go into effect within 90 days. Thus, starting on December 25, 2019, refugees will not be permitted to resettle into a state or locality unless written consent is provided by the governor and a local official. Governor Cuomo has already indicated New York State’s consent. Since 2008 Erie County has welcomed more than 13,500 refugees from 40 countries as they begin new lives here in America.