Politics

Commissioners urge ban on refugees

By Bill Moss, Published: July 20, 2016

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved a resolution urging a ban on refugee resettlement in the county a couple of hours after speakers condemned the resettlement program as a threat to security.
A fledgling effort by St. James Episcopal set off a negative response from the elected leaders and a strong condemnation from county residents who said the refugees pose a threat to safety and a drain on local and state resources.
“A number of areas would be affected,” Commissioner Grady Hawkins said as he explained why he drafted a resolution urging Gov. Pat McCrory to resist any resettlement in North Carolina. “The first one that comes to my mind is the schools. We already have information that over half the children in elementary school are on the free or reduced lunch program. To add more to that number certainly would be a burden.”

St. James Episcopal Church was considering participating in the refugee resettlement program, WLOS-TV reported, and Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk told the station she supported the effort. Councilman Ron Stephens raised concerns about it, saying it wasn't clear that the refugees would be adequately vetted.

Refugees would compete for the extremely limited supply of affordable housing and for jobs, Hawkins said.
“I think it’s imperative we take care of our own citizens here before we look at the needs of other countries,” he said. “It’s annoying to me that this whole process begins with the United Nations and the United Nations I don’t think in my mind has any authority at all dictating who comes into Henderson County as refugees. Seventy percent of them stay on welfare. The agencies that relocate these folks provide them funding for only three months and after that they’re on the taxpayer rolls for education, medical assistance” and other needs, he said.
“Secretary of State John Kerry has said ‘nowhere is there a greater hotbed of incubators for these terrorists than Syria’ — and we want to import 10,000 of them,” he added.
Speaking during the open comment period at the start of the regular meeting, residents implored the commissioners to stop the resettlement program.
“The real underlying truth is we’re at war with this seventh century religion and its aim is to take us over,” Robert Heltman said. “Our own president is part of the problem working like mad to bring more and more people who are trying to destroy us.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the resolution and agreed with an amendment by Commissioner Charlie Messer to disseminate the document to all 100 North Carolina counties ahead of the annual meeting of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners next month.
“This will be a good way for other counties to sign on to this,” Messer said. “Because the federal government pretty much does what they want to do unless they hear from the people.”