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Government

Iowa QC Welcomes Refugees

WVIK News
a 2019 citizenship ceremony at the Davenport federal building

The Iowa Quad Cities will continue to welcome legal refugees. That was the unanimous decision by the Scott County board of supervisors this week in response to the Trump Administration's policy of allowing local governments to refuse them.

Board Chair, Tony Knobbe, says Davenport, Bettendorf, and the Iowa Quad Cities have a long tradition of accepting immigrants, and board members wanted to send a message.

"They wish to come to this country - pay their taxes, be meaningful members of the community, learn and grow and adapt to the norms of this country and be productive citizens."

And he calls them "just a good bunch of folks who want to live the American Dream," including doctors, blue collar workers, and even some elected officials.

The Scott County Board has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, notifying him of its decision.

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.