The Fairbanks City Council heard testimony last night from members of the public concerned about executive actions by president Trump blocking Syrian refugees and a temporarily halting travel to the US from seven primarily Muslim countries. Rose O’Hara was one of several who asked that the council make Fairbanks a sanctuary city for immigrants.
”Immigrants are the building blocks of what makes America great,” O’Hara said. “Since our grandparents and great-grandparents came to this country, our family has worked hard. My generation of siblings were the first to go to college. We work in education, public health, for the CDC, water management. We are privileged to grow up in a country that welcomes all.”
A sanctuary city is defined as a municipality that does not prosecute unauthorized immigrants, and makes local government services available to them. Another speaker last night, Darleen Herbert expressed concern about sanctuary status attracting more immigrants to Fairbanks, citing tough financial times and the difficulties of living in the far north during the winter.
”There’s gonna be starving people in Alaska,” Herbert said. “I really don’t think we can bring in any people that don’t know how to survive in Alaska. So I don’t see how you can be a city that can bring in people. And most of them come from a country that’s very warm, so all we’re gonna be doing is picking up their frozen bodies.”
Fairbanks Mayor Jim Matherly said the city will investigate sanctuary status. Some council members voiced general support for the idea.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
