Yesterday, at a town hall meeting at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, Representative Mark Meadows spoke out against the idea of welcoming refugees to Western North Carolina. In the last 9 hours, a petition started by a citizen’s group, including local activist Chad Nesbitt, has garnered some 50 to 56 signatures from residents of Buncombe County—ranging from Arden to Weaverville. There are also comments of support from Madison, Henderson and Jackson Counties, as well as one from a New Jersey and one from Arizona. The petition is to be delivered to Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Commission and has a stated objective of 100 signatures.
The petition reads:
We are against refugees coming to Buncombe County because there is no veting [sic] process by the FBI or Homeland Security to assure that these people are not terrorists, criminals, or sex offenders. 11th District Congressman Mark Meadows said that, “intellenge [sic] reports state that the terrorist group ISIS is amoung the refugees.” Buncombe County has the highest housing rate in the state thus the requirement of affordable housing is not available. Our school system is not prepared to handle the costs of interpreters and increased class size. We believe in helping these people but helping them in there [sic] own country.
In a press release about the effort, Nesbitt accused city council and the county commission of supporting the idea refugee and not thinking the matter through. “Asheville City Council wants the refugees and our cowardly Buncombe County Commissioners never say anything until the community starts complaining. I’m tired of our elected officials putting their personal agendas ahead of the safety of the citizens. They need to look at the daily news reports of refugee horror coming from France and Germany and ask themselve’s would they chance that in Western North Carolina,” he said.
For now at least, resettlement efforts by the international humanitarian organization International Rescue Committee are continuing.
Full press release from Citizens Against Refugees In Buncombe:
In wake of Congressman Mark Meadows Town Hall meeting, a group of concerned citizens have started a petition drive calling for no refugees in Buncombe County.
At the meeting Congressman Meadows stated that reports say the terrorist group ISIS have infiltrated refugee groups and there is no veting on behalf of the FBI or Homeland Security because they have no US intelligence or background information on the refugees from their own countries.
Citizens Against Refugees In Buncombe organizer Chad Nesbitt said, “There is no way of knowing if any of these refugees are terrorists, sex offenders, or have a criminal past.”
Henderson County elected officials stopped a contractor that was trying to bring refugees to their county by letting them know they were not wanted there and cited safety concerns.
Chad Nesbitt said, “Asheville City Council wants the refugees and our cowardly Buncombe County Commissioners never say anything until the community starts complaining. I’m tired of our elected officials putting their personal agendas ahead of the safety of the citizens. They need to look at the daily news reports of refugee horror coming from France and Germany and ask themselve’s would they chance that in Western North Carolina.”
One of the criteria the US State Department and the refugee contractor has to have is affordable housing in the area of relocation. Buncombe County does not meet the criteria.
“All one has to do is pick up a real-estate magazine to see that Buncombe County has some of the highest housing rates in the state”, said Danny Radcliff another organizer for the group.
Chad Nesbitt said, “If the refugees are allowed to come here the contractor will leave them after three to six months and bring more refugees to Buncombe County. The refugees left here, after the contractors leave, would be living off the local tax payers for the cost of their health care, housing, and other expenses. Our county commissioners have not even addressed the impact the refugees would have on the local tax payers. Our school system can’t handle the impact. Class sizes would be bigger, interpreters would have to be hired, and so would extra teachers.”
Citizens Against Refugees In Buncombe believes in helping the refugees but help them in their own country with military and humanitarian relief. The safety of Americans is first.
The group plans on educating the public about their cause and will present their petition soon to commissioners and city council.
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