I have never known of an illegal immigrant in Laconia

To The Daily Sun,

The concern about the possibility of becoming a sanctuary city has taken me by surprise. As someone who has given much leadership to the resettlement of refugees and immigrants to Laconia over the past 18 years through the Laconia Human Relations Committee, the concept of being a sanctuary city has never come up. There has never been any consideration of such action, nor would it be our role to do so.

Since the conception of the Human Relations Committee, the Laconia Police Department has been an important link in the action of the legal resettlement work of this committee, from Police Chief Bill Baker in 2000 to recent Police Chief Chris Adams and current Police Chief Matt Canfield. They would have been and I’m sure are aware of problems of anyone here illegally. From reports in the newspaper, I am not aware of illegal status tied to arrests in Laconia or the Lakes Region.

Just for public information about the current work of the LHRC, no refugees have been resettled in Laconia in the last three or four years. The few remaining families have long been American citizens with excellent English and good jobs. I have never met or known of an illegal immigrant in Laconia. This does not mean that there has never been such an unknown person. It has never been a concern of the Laconia Human Relations Committee.

Our attention today is on fostering a community that welcomes a diversity of people. We focus on the importance of a free exchange of ideas without fear or intimidation. Our mission is to cultivate a community-wide climate that does not tolerate prejudice of any kind which undermines the dignity of any person.

Occasionally we are called on to help someone who legally enters the country as a new immigrant and needs help in resettlement, because no federal agency is responsible for taking care of them.

Where is the concern for Laconia being a sanctuary city coming from? Why is this receiving so much attention?

Carol Pierce, Member

Laconia Human

Relations Committee

Laconia