November 19, 2015
The Honorable Jack Markell
Office of the Governor
150 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. South, 2nd Floor
Dover, DE 19901
Dear Governor Markell:
On behalf of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), I write today to thank you for your compassionate and strong statement regarding the welcoming of Syrian refugees to Delaware, and your refusal to join the growing number of governors that have said they will not accept Syrian refugees in their states in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
For more than 100 years, ADL has been advocating for fair and humane treatment of aspiring Americans and policies that honor our history as a nation of immigrants. We applaud your leadership in advocating for those seeking shelter in Delaware and your call for “compassion for a suffering population that wants nothing more than a safe place to rebuild their lives from the rubble of war.”
In the face of increasingly ugly anti-immigrant rhetoric that demonizes and dehumanizes those fleeing violence, your willingness to take a stand and welcome immigrants to Delaware is all the more important. In opening the doors to Syrian refugees, you have not only continued our nation’s great history of welcoming the downtrodden, but have set the standard today for treating those fleeing oppression with the dignity, respect, and empathy they deserve.
Sincerely,
Nancy Baron-Baer
Regional Director