Mayors to Obama: We’ll take more refugees

A coalition of 18 mayors is urging President Obama to let more refugees come to the United States.

The group sent Obama a letter on Thursday stating their collective commitment to sheltering civilians displaced from Syria and other war zones, according to The Huffington Post.

{mosads}“As the mayors of cities across the country, we see first-hand the myriad ways in which immigrants and refugees make our communities stronger economically, socially and culturally,” they said in the message.

“We will welcome the Syrian families to make homes and new lives in our cities,” the mayors wrote.  “Indeed, we are writing to say that we stand ready to work with your administration to do much more and increase still further the number of Syrian refugees the United States will accept for resettlement.”

“The United States is in a position to lead a global narrative of inclusion and support,” the coalition added. “This is a challenge we can meet, and the undersigned mayors stand ready to help you meet it.”

The mayors who signed the letter include New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D), according to The Huffington Post.

All of the mayors on the letter are part of the Cities United for Immigration Reform coalition.

The Obama administration pledged Sunday to accept as many as 85,000 refugees during the next fiscal year. Secretary of State John Kerry said that number would rise to 100,000 people the following year.

Critics have warned against accepting more refugees into the U.S., arguing it increases the risk of terrorism.

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