This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Salt Lake County Council voted 6-2 Tuesday to call on the federal government to rescind President Donald Trump's executive order suspending U.S. entry of refugees and of foreign-born travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.
Democratic Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw led the charge for the resolution, which maintained that "the history of Salt Lake County is inseparably linked to the hard work of religious refugees and immigrants" and that "Salt Lake County stands for the religious freedoms of all people."
In addition, the resolution added, the county "recognizes that many in our community are fearful of actions that threaten the dignity of their families and attempt to deny refuge to those fleeing violence and persecution."
Republican Councilman Richard Snelgrove said he was compelled to support the resolution because he knows that fear followed the president's declaration.
"There are children who can't sleep nights, who have a great deal of anxiety in their lives because they are worried someone will break up their families," he said. I know that stress exists out there."
Steve DeBry and Aimee Winder Newton, both Republicans, voted against the resolution. Newton said it "missed the mark," and that the county would be better off "looking for things we do for our [refugee] community."
The Council statement comes after Mayor Ben McAdams criticized the Trump policy on immigration and refugees.