The Obama administration has screened and admitted more than 12,000 Syrian refugees, and thousands more are due to arrive in the coming year. In what has been a controversial plan, the city of Rutland, Vermont is preparing to receive 100 refugees beginning early next year. The group that coordinates resettlement of the refugees in Vermont is opening an office in the city and is seeking staff ahead of the refugees’ expected arrival.

The Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program has identified a spot for a downtown office, but has not yet signed a lease. The group, which has offices in Burlington, is also looking for people to fill three full-time positions in Rutland.

The program is part of The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Director of Government and Community Relations Stacie Blake is working with the Vermont office. She says there was always an intent to have an on-site office. “There’ll be a couple different roles within the office. There’ll be a case manager who will have initial responsibility to prepare for the family who is arriving. Then another position will be an employment specialist to work with the family to make a plan for self-sufficiency.”

Blake says most of the community has been very welcoming and hundreds are already volunteering, gathering donated furnishings, learning Arabic and finding other ways to help the refugees.

But the idea of bringing 100 refugees to the city remains divisive. Rutland First member David Trapeni says they obtained documents through a FOIA request that showed the resettlement group wants to bring refugees not only to the city but elsewhere in the county. “We knew this all was going to happen by the first of the year. That was their strategy right along. With Trump being elected the new president this is all going to go to a screeching halt anyway. We don’t need to bring in poverty. As a businessperson and somebody that likes to use common sense we need to take care of the people we have here now.”

Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras has been working with the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program to bring the Syrians to the city. He’s faced harsh criticism but says it will be good for the community. “Rutland is suffering with an aging community and a population decline. We have employers who are begging for people to fill their vacancies so they can grow their businesses and refugee resettlement is a very important tool in growing our population, providing those workers and stabilizing some of our neighborhoods where we have a lot of vacant properties. So this is a game changer for the city from a population and economic development perspective in addition to being the right thing to do.”

The first refugee families aren't expected to arrive in Rutland until January at the earliest. Resettlement officials do not know if the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump will change the country's refugee policy. During his campaign, Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the country and called for a moratorium on accepting Syrian refugees. Stacie Blake says the work in Rutland will proceed as planned. “We know that the work we’re doing is vital. So we are proceeding as planned and if there are any changes ahead we will react accordingly.”

On Monday city councilors in Burlington passed a resolution supporting the acceptance of “UN registered Syrian refugees” if the need arises.

