FORT SMITH, Ark. — The City of Fort Smith addressed recent social media posts falsely claiming the city was "flying or busing illegal immigrants into Fort Smith."
In a press release on Sept. 29, Josh Buchfink with the city denied Fort Smith was transporting immigrants or incentivizing them to move there.
The city did not cite a specific social media post, but on Sept. 28 a post that had almost 300 shares claimed a group of passengers who didn't speak English were seen on a flight back to Fort Smith.
"If anybody in our community thinks that this will not reach us in our area think again this group was intentionally flown here and I’m assuming provided airfare to get here in this group," the post said.
The city provided a list of programs, organizations, or companies that could have caused this misinformation to spread and provided details on what their purpose is.
"We encourage all residents to seek information from official sources and avoid spreading rumors or misinformation that can harm the reputation of hard-working individuals who are here legally under U.S. law," the release said.
Thomas Carnival, Inc. brought employees to Fort Smith for the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair
The company Thomas Carnival, Inc. flew 25 employees on Sept. 17 to work at the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair. All workers are U.S. citizens or have valid visas, according to the city. The company has been organizing the fair since the 1980s.
Department of Labor's H-2A Program for Agrico Labor operations in Van Buren
The United States Department of Labor's H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Program hires seasonal workers for designated Agrico Labor operations. The only Agrico Labor operation in Arkansas is in Van Buren.
These workers undergo extensive interviews in Mexico before being granted U.S. work visas. Once they complete the vetting process, they are given a social security number upon entering the U.S.
Workers are transported from Mexico to the U.S. by an Agrico Labor bus, which drove through Fort Smith. Once their labor contract ends, they are required to return to Mexico or they are transferred to another Agrico Labor operation in the U.S.
Canopy NWA resettling four families in Fort Smith
Nonprofit organization Canopy NWA is helping resettle four families in Fort Smith who were forced to flee their homes. The families have been approved for the U.S. Department of State's refugee resettlement program.
The city emphasized this is a federal program and not orchestrated by the city. Therefore, the city and state do not determine where refugees are placed in the United States.
"The City of Fort Smith is not becoming and does not want to become a Sanctuary City. It is illegal in the state of Arkansas for any city in Arkansas to be designated a Sanctuary City," the press release said.
City of Fort Smith's MakeMyMove Program
The city incentivizes remote workers in the U.S. to move to Fort Smith through the MakeMyMove program. Applicants must pass a background check before the city approves their move. Once approved, applicants could get up to $11,000 in incentives to relocate to Fort Smith.
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