Trump policies cloud “immigrant-friendly” city

There are concerns in Dayton over Trump’s policies on immigration because it linked its future to attracting foreign-born residents.

DAYTON » There are concerns over President Donald Trump’s tough talk and policies on immigration in an Ohio city that’s linked its future to attracting and keeping foreign-born residents.

The “Welcome Dayton” initiative has helped halt population decline, add skilled workers, and revitalize rundown neighborhoods in a Rust Belt city that was reeling from the recession. Officially adopted in 2011, the “immigrant-friendly city” plan offers assistance with English and translations, accessing government and social services and starting businesses.

The city celebrates diversity with cultural events such as a mini-World Cup soccer tournament and arts festivals, but Trump policies he says are needed for national security have made some feel more wary than welcome.

“People are freaking out,” said Ramadan Alhaddad, a Libya-born professional interpreter. He said even people with legal status have become “afraid to venture out; they’re just worried.”

Alhaddad, at a recent International Women’s Day celebration in downtown Dayton, said some people scrubbed plans to come because they were concerned about federal immigration agents showing up. Alhaddad said he has put off his own plans to visit his ailing mother in his homeland because even though he is a U.S. citizen, he wants to avoid any hassles.

He was among several foreign-born residents in Dayton who said they or people they know are changing travel and even immigration plans. The Trump administration is appealing an order Wednesday by a federal judge in Hawaii extending his temporary block of provisions to suspend new visas for six Muslim-majority countries and halt the U.S. refugee program.

Cuban-born attorney Isabel Suarez said people here from various Latin American countries voice “an increase in nervousness” about their futures. Ismail Ozcan, who leads the Turkish American Society of Ohio in Dayton, said: “People are saying ‘Should I come here or go to Canada instead?’”

Melissa Bertolo, who coordinates Welcome Dayton, said it has been increasing information and legal outreach in response to fear and uncertainty.

“Unfortunately, you have a lot of rumors,” she said. Such reactions among immigrants are “something that requires continued attention. I think we have made a lot of progress in our community, but it’s not something you can take for granted.”

Dayton was recognized by the Obama administration as a leader among several U.S. cities adopting “welcoming” policies. Dayton had been declining after plants and businesses closed or moved, including the departure to Georgia of NCR, the maker of automated tellers and other business machines that began in Dayton in the 19th century as National Cash Register.