In a symbolic attempt to challenge statements issued by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner that Syrian refugees are not welcome in his state, lawmakers in Chicago voted Wednesday in favor of a measure that establishes the windy city as a sanctuary city open to accepting Syrian refugees.

“Many of us on the City Council have expressed the opinion that Governor Rauner has no legal authority to block Syrian refugees fleeing violence from being placed in Illinois,” Ald. Ed Burke, a member of the Chicago City Council, said Wednesday during a City Council meeting. “It is our view that Chicago should continue its long and proud history of being one of the most immigrant friendly cities in the world. It is a metropolis that was built on generations of immigrants.”

The vote to establish Chicago as a sanctuary city came in response to Rauner’s opposition to the state taking in new Syrian refugees. On Monday, Rauner joined nearly 30 other governors who called to halt the acceptance of Syrian refugees after the Paris terror attacks until further review.

“Our nation and our state have a shared history of providing safe haven for those displaced by conflict, but the news surrounding the Paris terror attacks reminds us of the all-too-real security threats facing America,” the Republican governor said in a statement.

Therefore, the state of Illinois will temporarily suspend accepting new Syrian refugees and consider all of our legal options pending a full review of our country’s acceptance and security processes by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he’s “proud we’re doing the right thing today” by showing support for the Syrian refugees.

While the vote sends a clear message to Rauner, the practical implications are less clear. In discussions, a lawmaker who supported the measure acknowledged that the effort is “symbolic,” according to NBC Chicago, because they have a limited ability to regulate the flow of refugees into their city.

The ability of Rauner to halt Syrian refugees is also limited.

“Governors can certainly order state agencies to stop doing anything to assist federal authorities with their resettlement efforts, but they cannot stop federal authorities from continuing those efforts, nor can they stop immigrants who are lawfully admitted to this country from moving to and settling in those states,” John Malcolm, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation told The Daily Signal in an earlier interview. “They can, however, ask state law enforcement authorities to keep an eye on the refugees who settle in their states, so long as those authorities do so within the bounds of the Constitution.”

 

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