(From Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn)

Dear Findlay Community Members,

Over the past week, the spotlight has been turned on Ohio and the increase in immigrants that have been impacting a number of our communities over the last few years. I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the City of Findlay, what we are seeing and how we are working with State and Federal officials to treat our immigrant population with dignity and respect and ensure the ongoing support for longtime City of Findlay residents.

We have approximately 1000 immigrants in Findlay either living, working, or both and about 1500 within the Hancock County region. I do not anticipate this number growing significantly as we do not have housing capacity. This is different from what has occurred in other Ohio communities which had significant lower cost housing available. As I have previously stated, the immigrants that are in Findlay to our knowledge are here legally. If our law enforcement interacts with someone who does not have proper documentation we notify ICE, and if they are a threat to the public, they are detained. We are fortunate that this has not occurred and the Findlay Police Department will continue to uphold the laws of the land.

Additionally, we have not seen an increase in crime. We have actually seen a significant decrease in drug overdoses and other crime which we regularly saw at the hotels which are now occupied by our immigrant population. We have seen an increase in minor traffic violations, but our Findlay Police Department has done a great job catching violations early, working to educate on proper driving safety. Also, these individuals are not being funded by the City of Findlay. Recently, I have been in communication with the Governor and the Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety on additional resources, such as driving simulators, that could be utilized for driver education for both immigrant and non-immigrant drivers.

Earlier this year I established the Immigration Task Force. This coalition meets regularly with the purpose of enhancing existing systems to meet the needs of our immigrant population to ensure efficiency and good stewardship of existing resources while assisting those who need it.

We identified language, cultural education, and healthcare education as our top priorities and are currently working with local organizations and State agencies to best address the challenges our community is facing.

We all recognize this is a complex issue because our nation’s immigration system has needed fixing for a long time. However, I believe it is beneficial for us all to keep in mind that the individuals that have come here legally are not to be blamed for the frustrations felt by many. They are looking for a safe place to live and find new opportunities to better their lives. They are humans. Not criminals. We cannot allow fear, political rhetoric, and misinformation to cause our hearts to be hardened to people who are doing what the majority of our own families did: Come to America for a safe place and a new start.

I know that the unknown is scary and that change is difficult. I can assure you that I and the City of Findlay team will do what is necessary to maintain the wonderful community we have, continue to improve upon it, and be a community of which we all can be extremely proud.

Sincerely,

Christina M. Muryn

Mayor