Governor Phil Scott affirmed Vermont's commitment to resettling refugees in local municipalities and counties.

"Since 1989, Vermont has welcomed almost 8,000 refugees," wrote Scott in a Jan. 6 letter of consent addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "Vermont's refugee communities have made countless contributions to our state."

Citing "serious demographic challenges" that Vermont has experienced in the last several decades, the governor emphasized the importance of refugees in "growing Vermont's economy and reversing Vermont's aging demographic".

Additionally, Scott included that he would seek authority from the state Legislature to consult with local governments interested in resettling refugees into their communities.

How local towns have sought to resettle refugees

Controversy struck the City of Rutland in 2016 after former mayor Christopher Louras sought to resettle 25 families from Syrian and Iraq. The resettlement program was planned as an attempt to boost the local workforce amid Rutland's shrinking population.

However, an executive order from the Trump administration temporarily banning Syrian refugees from the United States ultimately stalled more families from settling into the city.

This past September, the Trump administration announced that it would reduce the number of refugees allowed to resettle into the country from 30,000 to a historic low of 18,000 in the fiscal year 2020.

Prior to the 2019 announcement, the United States had already been declining its admission of refugees, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.

In 2019, Vermont resettled only 84 refugees, down from 397 in 2016. In Scott's letter, he hoped to see the number of refugees resettled rise to 325 to 350 people per year.

Over the last several years, Vermont has ranked in the top five most welcoming states for refugees (relative to population), according to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Contact Ethan Bakuli at (802) 556-1804 or ebakuli@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BakuliEthan. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up for a digital subscription.