Updated at 8:45 p.m. Nov. 13 with council discussion
St. Charles County Council members Monday discussed but did not vote on a resolution criticizing a program resettling Latin American immigrants in the St. Louis region.
Supporters of the resolution tabled the measure because two members were absent.
Councilwoman Barbara Schneider said the resolution was misguided since the immigrants are in the country legally.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this resolution accomplishes anything positive. I don鈥檛 see its purpose,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he county council has no control over these matters.鈥�
Backers of the resolution said that they don鈥檛 trust the Biden administration to run immigration programs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about whether they鈥檙e contributing to society, it鈥檚 about whether they鈥檙e legally entering the country,鈥� said Councilman Joe Brazil.
The resolution is purely symbolic, but it still attracted opposition from officials with the International Institute and the region鈥檚 Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Original story:
The St. Charles County Council will consider Monday that opposes the International Institute of St. Louis鈥� plan to bring Latin American immigrants from Chicago to the region to boost the population and workforce.
Some council members say publicity about the program prompted them to propose the resolution.
鈥淭he St. Charles County Council is strongly opposed to the importation of illegal immigrants into the region based on current federal and state statutes that make their unlawful entry into the United States a criminal offense,鈥� wrote resolution sponsors Matt Swanson, Joe Brazil, Dave Hammond and Tim Baker.
鈥淚t affects St. Charles County, we鈥檙e your neighbors,鈥� Brazil said in an interview. 鈥淎nd so you always should be conscious of your neighbors. And they're not, but that's just typical St. Louis [and] St. Louis County.鈥�
International Institute President and CEO Arrey Obenson said the immigrants the organization plans to help are here legally. Federal officials through sponsorships and under parole, a process that allows immigrants to be in the country for a temporary period. They have a status similar to that of Ukrainian refugees who have come to St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County.
Last year, the Biden administration to immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua with U.S. sponsors, giving them permission to live and work in the country for two years. The immigrants could be permitted to stay in the country longer if they receive another designation, such as refugee status, or if they have their parole extended.
鈥淭he Ukrainians and the Latinos are both parolees, privately sponsored,鈥� Obsenson said. 鈥淲hy does ... St. Charles respond in one way for the Latinos and another way for the Ukrainians?"
鈥淭hese sponsors are picking and choosing who lives in an American community 鈥� in an American city,鈥� he said of the resolution.
Federal officials said extending parole to those from the four Latin American countries encourages migrants to come to the United States legally. But Brazil said he does not think the federal government鈥檚 program is legitimate.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe they鈥檙e vetting them properly,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 believe the Biden administration is completely incompetent.鈥�
Republican attorneys general from 20 states, including Missouri, have , claiming it , not large numbers of people.
The resolution, if passed, will not have legal teeth but is meant to serve as a position statement for the council, Brazil said.
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said in a statement that the proposal 鈥渋s not a law, just a suggestion鈥� and that he 鈥渓ooks forward to hearing discussion on this important issue.鈥�
Representatives of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones鈥� office have not had direct conversations with the International Institute about welcoming more migrants from Chicago, a spokesman from the mayor鈥檚 office said in a statement. 鈥淭he city of St. Louis has had a longstanding cooperative relationship with the International Institute to welcome immigrants and refugees from all over the world,鈥� the spokesman said. 鈥淲e look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the International Institute.鈥�
The city recently as the first director of the Office of New Americans "to streamline resources to welcome immigrants and refugees" to St. Louis.
Obenson said political moves, like the resolution before the St. Charles County Council, ultimately hurt efforts to encourage people to stay in the region.
鈥淥ur young people that come to the wonderful universities that we have here leave because of resolutions like this,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat does this say to a young Latino person who鈥檚 going to Lindenwood University in St. Charles?鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat does that say to him?鈥�
Arrey Obenson and Karlos Ramirez, vice president of Latino Outreach for the International Institute, joined "St. Louis on the Air" on November 15, 2023 to discuss plans to welcome Latin American immigrants to St. Louis. They also talked about how the St. Charles County proposal hurts their efforts at creating a welcoming region. Listen to the conversation on , , or or by clicking the play button below.
