Mayors from eighteen U.S. cities signed a letter to President Obama saying they are willing to take even more refugees than what has been proposed by the administration.

“We will welcome the Syrian families to make homes and new lives in our cities,” wrote the mayors, all of whom are part of the Cities United for Immigration Action coalition.

“Indeed, we are writing to say that we stand ready to work with your Administration to do much more and to urge you to increase still further the number of Syrian refugees the United States will accept for resettlement.”

“This is a challenge we can meet, and the undersigned mayors stand ready to help you meet it,” they wrote.

The mayors who signed included New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

It should be noted that Mayor de Blasio reversed his position on the issue within two weeks. He was asked about accepting Syrian refugees back on September 8 at the West Indian American Day Carnival Association Breakfast. He told the questioner at the time that the issue was “Europe’s problem.”

“It’s – look – let’s start by saying, first, it is the federal government’s responsibility to deal with an international matter. And second, obviously the United States should be part of the solution. But first and foremost, this is a European problem – and the European community has to own up to this problem, and so far has not done that effectively. I commend Pope Francis for sending a message, once again, for being an extraordinary moral voice, and saying, by his own action, that this is something that Europe has to take responsibility for.”

De Blasio most recently stated, “New York has always been a place where the American Dream has come to life for generations of immigrants from around the globe. For the thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing the nightmare of oppression, in search of safety, stability, and salvation, we say welcome. As the Pope visits New York this week, we are reminded that the answer to the age-old question, ‘am I my brothers keeper’ must be a resounding yes if we are to live up to the values on which our nation was founded and our future depends.”

Syrian refugees will be spread out over at least 190 different American cites. The Obama administration announced on Sunday that the U.S. will accept 85,000 refugees this year and 100,000 total in fiscal year 2017.

The letter the mayors signed and sent to the president is below: