Milwaukee Common Council Voted 13-2 To Oppose Trump's Muslim Ban

Two aldermen voted against adoption of the Milwaukee Common Council resolution sponsored by Alderman José G. Pérez opposing President Trump's Muslim ban.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

February 7, 2017

Milwaukee, WI - On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Common Council on a vote of 13-2 adopted a resolution opposing President Donald Trump's Muslim ban. Both Aldermen Robert "Bob" G. Donovan and Mark A. Borkowski voted against. Alderman José G. Pérez, Alderwomen Milele A. Coggs and Chantia Lewis sponsored the resolution.

Aldermen Robert Bauman, Nicolas Kovac, Ashanti Hamilton, Kalif J. Rainey, Cavalier Johnson, Russell W. Stamper II, James Bohl Jr. and T. Anthony Zielinski were added as cosponsors of the resolution.

Resolution: 102-161482

Number

161482

Version

ORIGINAL

Reference

Sponsor

ALD. PEREZ, COGGS, LEWIS,  BAUMAN, KOVAC, HAMILTON, RAINEY, JOHNSON, STAMPER, BOHL, AND ZIELINSKI

Title

Resolution expressing the City of Milwaukee’s opposition to Presidential Executive Order 13769: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.

Analysis

This resolution expresses the City of Milwaukee’s opposition to Presidential Executive Order 13769: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.

Body

Whereas, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13769 on January 27, 2017; and

Whereas, The Executive Order suspends the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days, after which the program will be conditionally resumed for individual countries; and

Whereas, The Executive Order suspends the entry, regardless of valid non-diplomatic visas, of alien nationals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, after which an updated list of prohibited countries will be determined; and

Whereas, As an immediate result of the Executive Order, individuals in possession of current visas have been detained or turned back at airports across the country, resulting in chaos, confusion, deep anxiety, and hardship; and

Whereas, The Executive Order suspends entry of refugees from Syria indefinitely, allowing exceptions on a case-by-case basis, ignoring the fact that those being denied entry are themselves victims of terrorism and are fleeing the savagery, death, and destruction of the Syrian civil war; and

Whereas, The history of the United States is that of a melting pot of cultures as depicted on the Statue of Liberty, which states, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free;” and

Whereas, Thousands of protesters have gathered at airports and other locations throughout the United States to protest the signing of the order and detention of hundreds of stranded foreign nationals; and

Whereas, Under the U.S. Immigration Act of 1965, the president may not refuse to give visas to immigrants coming to live in the United States permanently due to their nationality; and

Whereas, The Roosevelt administration’s rejection of Jews fleeing the Holocaust was one of the more shameful acts of any American president. Rather than return to such a policy targeted at a new group of persecuted people, the U.S. should continue to accept humanitarian immigration, because allowing people to escape violence is the bare minimum of moral decency; and

Whereas, Since World War II, the U.S. has accepted millions of refugees fleeing communism and totalitarianism around the world; and

Whereas, While the Executive Order references the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as why the Executive Order is necessary, the 19 terrorists who carried out the attacks were from countries not listed in the ban: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates; and

Whereas, Federal courts throughout the nation have issued emergency stays, which will stop federal officials from deporting individuals with appropriate refugee applications, holders of valid visas, and people from the seven impacted countries who have secured authorization to enter the United States; and

Whereas, The Executive Order countermands the United States' obligations to refugees under the Geneva Conventions; and

Whereas, Milwaukee is a diverse home to thousands of immigrants from hundreds of countries; and

Whereas, Milwaukee is celebrating Black History Month to create awareness of the struggles and challenges that African Americans overcame in this country, and in so doing, remembering the hardships of all immigrants; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Common Council expresses its opposition to Presidential Executive Order 13769: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Common Council urges the federal Department of Homeland Security to comply with the federal court orders as quickly as feasible and immediately permit detained individuals to have timely access to legal counsel; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Common Council commends the hundreds of attorneys across the nation who volunteer their time and services to ensure the due process and equal protection of these refugees and legal permanent residents, and the thousands who have peacefully protested to uphold American values; and, be it

Further Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution, the City Clerk shall mail copies of this resolution to the Office of the President of the United States and to each member of Milwaukee’s delegation to the U.S. Congress.

Update: On Tuesday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett signs the Milwaukee Common Council resolution opposing President Donald Trump's Muslim ban at the Milwaukee Gathers in Unity for Human Dignity event at the Carmen High School of Science and Technology.