Sarah Brown, Washington State Area Coordinator with Amnesty International, requested that the City of Chehalis adopt a resolution in support of refugees at the council meeting Monday evening.
“My request today is for the City of Chehalis adopt a refugee resolution, if possible,” said Brown.
“This refugee resolution will be non-binding and will show support for refugee settlements. It is critical that we do sponsor refugees as far as sponsoring their locations.”
Brown talked about the rigorous six-step process refugees have to go through before they are allowed to come to the United States. Resettlement agencies, churches, amnesties will sponsor them when they get here. They have 90 days to find a job and the children will go to school.
“Refugees don’t leave their country because they get up one day and say ‘Oh I’m going to Chehalis.’ That doesn’t happen. They leave because there is conflict or fear of their government and the sad part is that today most refugees are children,” she said.
