Governor says Pennsylvania will keep accepting refugees

Pennsylvania’s governor is telling President Donald Trump he won’t be using state authority granted last month to refuse to accept refugees.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday wrote Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to say his state will continue to welcome those facing persecution and danger, including people that other states won’t accept.

Wolf’s letter says refugees have long improved communities and that he’s dismayed that the United States is “sharply reducing” its commitment to vulnerable families around the world.

Trump, a Republican, last month slashed the number of refugees allowed into the United States and for the first time gave state and local governments the authority to refuse to accept them.

The president’s order requires state and local officials to provide public written consent to receive refugees.