Lightfoot to State Department: Refugees still welcome in Chicago

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday sent a letter to the U.S. State Department reaffirming the city’s willingness to take in refugees.

Lightfoot sent the letter in accordance with a September executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which requires leaders — on both the state and local level — to explicitly say refugees are welcome.

Elected officials across the country have until Christmas Day to submit their letters, so refugee resettlement agencies can secure funding and plan out where refugees will be sent.

“As a Welcoming City, Chicago is proud to submit our letter of consent to the State Department, ensuring our doors continue to remain open to refugees from around the world that are seeking a new home for themselves and a new future in our great country,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “It is especially fitting that we do so during this holiday season as we extend the blessings we received to those most in need.”

Chicago will join several other municipalities in the state welcoming refugees, including DuPage County and downstate Champaign. Gov. J.B. Pritzker supports the measure, too.