Binghamton Rejects Refugee Resolution

Binghamton City Council is rejecting legislation that would officially state the city has open arms for Syrian refugees.

Council voted four to three against the resolution stating Binghamton is open to accepting immigrants from Syria.  The majority took the position that the city is already a welcoming community and didn’t need a law establishing that.

There were plenty of comments supporting the resolution prior to the vote saying it was important for officials to take a stand given much of the recent anti-Muslim rhetoric in the national media.

During a multi-denominational gathering December 21 in Binghamton, religious leaders said they wanted to stand united against religious discrimination even though none thought there had been any local incidents.

Even if City Council had passed the legislation, similar to a measure approved in Syracuse, the City doesn’t have any control over accepting refugees.