Refugee resettlement debate dec 2019
THE DEBATE ON REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT IN COUNTIES ACROSS MN Counties across Minnesota are scrambling to decide on whether to welcome refugees after President Donald Trump issued an executive order that requires local approval of any resettlement in their communities. The measure is sparking tense discussion, confusion and some frustration among many local officials who find themselves thrust into a national issue — and needing to make a decision by the end of January. “This is a position, from my perspective, that local governments should never be placed in,” Kandiyohi County Board Member Harlan Madsen said. Commissioners in that western Minnesota county voted 3-2 on Tuesday to accept refugees after heated debate. Madsen said he felt he could not vote “no” because it would send a negative message and would not represent the commitment of county citizens to accepting and embracing the changes taking place. Willmar, the largest city in Kandiyohi County, has close to 3,100 foreign-born citizens out of an overall population of 19,673; it’s in a congressional district that backed Trump by more than 30 percentage points. Trump issued the executive order in September. Supporters cheered when he mentioned the policy requiring written consent at an October rally in…
Read More