On December 11th, the Interfaith Council of Greater Springfield (ICGS) sent a letter to Mayor Dominic Sarno of Springfield urging him to declare that refugees are – and will remain – welcome in Springfield. As ‘welcome of the stranger’ and ‘care of the vulnerable’ are core values of many of our faith traditions, the members of ICGS voted to pro-actively seek dialog with the mayor.
To date, the Council has received no response from Mayor Sarno. However, on December 17th, Mayor Sarno’s office issued a public statement that continues to refer to refugees as burdens upon our community. We believe this statement is immoral and in accurate, and we are committed to building a community in which every resident is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
We applaud the Springfield City Council for its unanimous resolution.
