Despite citizens’ concerns about open borders, Fort Worth’s mayor joined other mayors across Texas in asking Gov. Greg Abbott to continue allowing refugees into the Lone Star State.
On September 26 of this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring the federal government to seek the consent of state and local governments before resettling refugees. Price’s letter asks Gov. Abbott to continue granting such consent.
“I’ve witnessed the mutually beneficial impact of resettling almost 2,600 refugees in Fort Worth since 2016,” Price wrote.
Price’s words go against the grain of polling that suggests a national backlash against open borders. In June of this year, Gallup found illegal immigration to be the top issue of concern to Americans and that one in three want immigration levels reduced. And in Texas, grassroots activists and organizations have rallied behind the Lone Star Agenda, which includes securing the state’s southern border as one of its priorities. Several state elected officials have joined these leaders in asking Gov. Abbot to call a special session to enact this agenda.
This is not the first action by Price that seriously calls into question her Republican bona fides. Under her watch, the average Fort Worth homeowner’s city property tax bill has risen 42.8 percent in just six years, from $835 to $1,193. In September, Price and a majority of city council approved a purple budget that funds a number of Democrat initiatives. She also recently hired a Democrat to run Fort Worth’s new “Diversity and Inclusion Department.”
In 2018, refugee resettlements in Fort Worth went down 84 percent from their high of almost 1,500 in 2016. How many more refugees does Price want to welcome? What other Democrat initiatives is she prepared to pursue during her current mayoral term?
Concerned Fort Worth residents may contact Mayor Price here.
Information in this article has been updated since publication.
