Manchester's Board of Aldermen has given approval for the federal government to support refugee resettlement in the city.
President Trump issued an order earlier this fall requiring states and local municipalities to opt in by before federal funds go to support refugee resettlement agencies there. Governor Chris Sununu gave state-level consent last month. Municipalities have until December 20th to opt in.
The board of alderman in Manchester voted on Tuesday to do just that.
The two refugee resettlement agencies in the city expect to help resettle about 50 refugees next year - that's about a third of the number resettled this year, and far below the numbers settled ten years ago.
The decline is part of a national trend, as the federal government lowers the refugee cap each year.
Concord and Manchester have taken the bulk of the state’s refugees. Concord Mayor Jim Bouley told the Concord Monitor he expects to get approval from the City Council on Dec. 9.
