On Monday, the Bloomington City Council unanimously approved special-use permits for two places of worship a Christian church, and an Islamic center to use spaces in commercially-zoned areas.
Blooomington City Council meets remotely Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.
Next month, Bloomington City Council will hear a proposal on whether to research a national program that helps communities build an inclusive culture for immigrants and other populations.
Ward 2 council member Donna Boelen presented the proposal to further study the Welcoming America Initiative during Monday s remote meeting. Despite passing 7-2, some on the council, as well as local immigrants-rights advocates, spoke against the idea.
Instead, they support first addressing the local push for a Welcoming City ordinance. That grassroots campaign calls for more direct city protection of Bloomington’s immigrant residents, supporting an ordinance limiting cooperation between Bloomington police and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).