Montana: Hundreds turn out in support of letter to Washington opposing refugee resettlement
Montana: Hundreds turn out in support of letter to Washington opposing refugee resettlement. Ravalli County is on the western border of Montana at the Idaho state line. Idaho is a big resettlement state (it is also a Wilson-Fish state). Yesterday 500 citizens turned out to voice support for a letter to the US State Department by the county commissioners to oppose the resettlement of refugees in the county. This is a preemptive move that is a result of the controversy created in the state when several non-profits have announced that they want to work with the US State Department to resettle Syrians (and others from war-torn countries) to rural Montana. From the Missoulian: HAMILTON – A public hearing on a proposed letter opposing the settlement of Syrian refugees in Ravalli County and the surrounding area drew hundreds Thursday afternoon. The Ravalli County Commission hosted the meeting, which had to be moved three times to accommodate the crowd. By the time the meeting was finished, the commissioners had heard enough to approve a modified version of the letter and expand its circulation to include the governor, Montana’s congressional delegation and Missoula officials. About 500 people settled into the bleachers at the Hamilton Junior High School gym for a meeting that garnered a large cheer when the commissioners announced it would begin with the Pledge of Allegiance and included a loud emphasis from the crowd on the words “under God” during its recital.