For over forty years, the Columbus Council on World Affairs has fostered global awareness and built bridges between people, cultures, and communities. Robust cultural diversity in our community is one of its greatest strengths, and we are committed to empowering students, business professionals, and members of the general public by developing and enhancing their cross-cultural competency and global awareness.

In this spirit, we find several aspects of the recent Executive Order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” to be counter to our principles and mission. The Council does not agree that immigrants or refugees from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen are, as proclaimed in the EO, “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

Far from being detrimental, immigrants and refugees are critical to the economic and cultural growth of our region. As we published in our 2016-2017 Global Report, twenty-one percent of growth in metropolitan Columbus in 2015 came from international migration. Of the top five countries from which immigrants came to our region, Somalia ranked third. Two countries on the list of those deemed “detrimental” to U.S. interests, Somalia and Iraq, are among the top three countries of origin for refugees living in the greater Columbus region.

The total economic contribution of refugees to our local economy was $1.6 billion. Local refugees are more than twice as likely to own a business than the general population, and the local refugee community supports an estimated 20,000 jobs in the region. (Data source: Impact of Refugees in Central Ohio 2015 Report)

Through our work with over 600 students in fifteen school districts in central Ohio, we know that young immigrants and refugees are achieving and thriving in our community and are contributing to make all students be global minded and future leaders. One Somali student who participates in our Global Scholars Diploma program, following last Friday’s EO, renewed her commitment to bring together young women in the community to foster cross-cultural understanding and awareness. Another student in the program launched a tutoring and mentoring program for Iraqi refugee children.

We encounter dozens of stories like these in our work, and we are proud to support those in the greater Columbus region who are committed to inclusion and acceptance. We know that people from all seven countries affected by this EO live, work, and study in our city and contribute to its rich diversity. The city of Columbus is stronger for their presence and our community is enriched by the intersections of local and global cultures that they represent.

Patrick Terrien
CEO and President, Columbus Council on World Affairs
Columbus