REPRESENTATIVE JOHN KATKO IS ASKING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO CONSIDER LIFTING THE CAP ON THE LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES… KATKO CITED REFUGEE CONTRIBUTIONS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK AND A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ACCEPT PEOPLE FLEEING VIOLENCE IN HIS DECISION TO DO SO… SABRINA MAGGIORE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY AND LOOKS AT THE ROLE REFUGEES ARE PLAYING IN ONONDAGA COUNTY…
THAT’S RIGHT GUYS, JOHN KATKO SIGNED A LETTER WITH 16 OTHER REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVES ASKING THE SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO, TO RECONSIDER A PLAN WHICH WOULD LIMIT THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES RESETTLED IN THE U-S…. TAKE A LOOK AT THE GRAPH HERE, THE REFUGEE CAP HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE TRUMP TOOK OFFICE… IN OBAMA’S LAST MONTHS IN OFFICE, HE RAISED THE 20-17 CAP TO 110 THOUSAND, BUT TRUMP LATER REDUCED THAT YEAR’S CAP TO 50 THOUSAND– AND THAT NUMBER HAS DECREASED SINCE THEN… (next slide)…
NOW ON PAR WITH THE NATIONAL TREND, THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES IN ONONDAGA COUNTY HAS DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AS WELL…… THE PROPOSED CAP FOR THIS YEAR OF 18 THOUSAND WOULD BE A HISTORIC LOW FOR THE COUNTRY, AND WILL LIKELY LEAD TO A DECREASE IN THE POPULATION HERE IN ONONDAGA COUNTY… I SPOKE TO LAHMIS ABDELAHTY A PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY… SHE EXPLAINS THE ROLES REFUGEES HAVE TRADITIONALLY PLAYED IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
Lamis Abdelaaty: Refugees tend to be more entrepreneurial so they’re likely to set up businesses that will not only pay taxes but may also generate employment prospects for locals that’s part of the reason why cities like buffalo and syracuse have been welcoming towards refugees.
And if you’re interested in learning more about the role refugees play in onondaga county head to NCC news online dot com. We’ll have data and more of professor Abdelaaty’s interview available for you there.
By Sabrina Maggiore SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) Representative John Katko has signed a letter asking the Trump Administration to consider lifting the resettlement cap on the number of refugees. The letter, addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, cited a moral responsibility and the United States’ long history of opening doors to assist refugees as the imperative for doing so.
“U.S. leadership is critical in addressing ongoing humanitarian crises caused by civil war and persecution and in assisting displaced persons,” stated the letter.
Despite the historic commitment to 95,000 resettlements, since 2017, the U.S. has rapidly decreased the resettlement ceiling.
During Obama’s final months in office, he raised his previous cap from 85,000 to 110,000 to help address the Syrian refugee crisis.Trump’s policy lowered the cap to 50 thousand that same fiscal year. The administration has lowered the resettlement cap every fiscal year since. This year’s proposed cap would reduce the refugee intake further to 18,000 which would be a historic low for the U.S.
On par with a decreased refugee cap, the number of refugees resettled in Onondaga county has also drastically decreased since Trump took office. This year 223 refugees were resettled in Onondaga county, the lowest in a decade.
A study conducted by the New American Economy for CenterState CEO and the International Institute of Buffalo, implies that this could have negative implications. According to the study, refugees and immigrants had contributed 2 billion dollars in combined spending power to the Syracuse and Buffalo areas in 2014. The study found that immigrants and refugees in the areas helped regenerate the cities’ declining population, provided employers with labor, and started small businesses.
“There’s actually a lot of research that demonstrates that refugees in particular are often an economic boom to places that hosts them. Refugees tend to be more entrepreneurial so they’re likely to set up businesses that will not only pay taxes but may also generate employment prospects for locals,”said S.U. Professor of Political Science and refugee researcher Lamis Abdelaaty.
While immigrants who arrive in the area do often require social services, refugees are weaned off of most government support within three months after their arrival. According to the study, the money the federal government spends is offset within a few years as new immigrants find jobs and pay taxes.
“That’s part of the reason why local officials have been quite receptive to refugees and very welcoming of them because there are large economic benefits to be had,” said Abdelaaty.
SM: There was a recent study that says that immigrants contribute approximately 2 billion in combined spending power in syracuse and buffalo. the study says they regenerate the population, provide employers with labor and start small business. and so I guess my question is , there’s this rhetoric that immigrants are an economic drain on society, so what is the reality? is it more in line with what we saw in that study. LA: There’s actually a lot of research that demonstrates that refugees in particular are often an economic boom to places that hosts them. Refugees tend to be more entrepreneurial so they’re likely to set up businesses that will not only pay taxes but may also generate employment prospects for locals that’s part of the reason why cities like buffalo and syracuse have been welcoming towards refugees. Because as the population of these cities have declined refugees have been willing to be resettled here to essentially renovate homes that had once been abandoned and reinvigorate economies that had witnessed significant declines… that’s part of the reason why local officials have been quite receptive to refugees and very welcoming of them because there are large economic benefits to be had. and there’s study after study from the west to European studies to countries in africa like Uganda that demonstrate there is a lot to be gained from refugees. Again, job creation, tax revenues that they generate and spending power that they bring reinvigorate these economies.
SM: sort of on that topic you mentioned local officials, Katko is actually opposing the trump cuts to the resettlement caps. and he sited the role the play in CNY and a moral responsibilty. Why do you think he did something like that and what roles do refugees play in cny.
LA: I’m heartened to hear that, I think ben walsh has also written an op-ed opposing trump’s new cap on refugee resettlement as well. It’s because it’s documented. We know that refugees have really reinvigorated the economies of cities in cny. buffalo, syracuse, and utica is a lot of city that gets a lot of attention and a lot of coverage as well where refugees have set up a vibrant multi-national community that have reinvigorated that city as well. obviously that’s combined with the moral responsibility that every country in the world has to protect individuals fleeing persecution and conflict.
The number of refugees resettled in Onondaga County has declined since 2016 and will likely continue to decline if the new national resettlement cap takes effect. 
