Boone County leaders sign refugee resettlement consent letter

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Commission on Thursday signed off on allowing refugees to resettle in Boone County.

Gov. Mike Parson announced on Tuesday that Missouri will continue allowing refugees to be placed in the state, in compliance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

Northern District Commissioner Janet Thompson said according to a White House executive order created in September, resettlement of refugees now requires consent by the governor and other elected officials.

“For many years, we’ve been doing this,” said Thompson. “We have many refugees who have become part of our community, no longer refugees, citizens.”

Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill wrote that the Boone County Commission is aware that refugee resettlement has been occurring in Boone County for several decades. The letter also says the Trump administration has increased protections for communities where refugees resettle.

Catholic Charities is a refugee resettlement provider in mid-Missouri that was relieved with the approval in continuing to resettle refugees in Boone county.

“We hated to think that this really vital life-saving work might not be something that could be ongoing,” said Catholic Charities executive director Dan Lester. “We’re just really thrilled to be able to continue to move forward with this work.”

Refugees are most often resettled in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Columbia, the governor said in his letter. Parson's announcement said 18,000 refugees from 45 countries have been resettled in the state since 2002.