An official with a western Massachusetts refugee resettlement agency says she understands that Governor Charlie Baker needs to make sure the state’s residents feel safe. Baker wants the feds to stop sending Syrian refugees to the state until he gets answers about security. Deirdre Griffin from Jewish Family Service says technically the governor has no say in where refugees are placed, but says “it’s also really important for refugees and refugee partners to have good working relationships with welcoming communities.”
“We just want to make sure the governor and everybody else who might have questions knows that we’re here as a resource, and that we need to work together so that we can ensure the public’s safety, and be true to our American values of helping the vulnerable,” Griffin adds.
Griffin says her agency has helped five Syrian families, a total of 22 people, resettle in the area in the past year.
To hear a full interview with Deirdre Griffin, click the audio player above.