Yet another Republican-led state has said it will continue to resettle refugees, with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s announcement on Wednesday that the state will continue to welcome families, following a Trump administration executive order that has given states unprecedented power to slam the door on them and reject them.
“The United States and Tennessee have always been, since the very founding of our nation, a shining beacon of freedom and opportunity for the persecuted and oppressed, particularly those suffering religious persecution,” Lee said, according to The Tennessean. “My administration has worked extensively to determine the best outcome for Tennessee, and I will consent to working with President Trump and his administration to responsibly resettle refugees.”
Lee had been under pressure from local organizations and faith groups, which said in a letter earlier this month that “Tennessee evangelical churches and ministries have been active in serving newly arrived refugees for decades, and we pray you will not restrict the ability for us to love our global neighbors in this way.” The Trump administration has said that localities and states must say in writing whether or not they’ll join in on this refugee-bashing (happening just in time for Christmas), but none to date have agreed to block these families.
“The inn is not full in Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz wrote in his letter to the administration. “Minnesota has a strong moral tradition of welcoming those who seek refuge.” In her announcement, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, “I am committed to ensuring that we remain a leader in responding to the needs of globally displaced families and individuals."
Localities have also said they’ll continue welcoming refugees—though their states’ governors could still have power to block them—including counties in Georgia, Nebraska, and North Dakota. In the latter, Burleigh County Commissioner Jerry Woodcox told NPR, “When you see the success of the refugees that have been here for 20 years, and it's been a long-term program that's done an excellent job, and I was convinced that that was what we were going to be doing.”