UPDATE 12/3/2019: We recommend readers check out Riham Feshir's fine reporting at Minnesota Public Radio, In a split vote, one Minnesota county says ‘yes’ to more refugees. Feshir reports:
In a first for the state, a divided Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to accept more refugees into its increasingly diverse community. . . .
Just 10 refugees were settled in Kandiyohi last fiscal year, including six ethnic Karen and four East African refugees. All were joining family already in the area.
Not all immigrants are first-time arrivals, therefore the executive order doesn’t apply to hundreds of immigrants who could move to the county of their choice.
Resettlement agencies in Minnesota have been racing to gather the consent forms from across the state. They’ve sent draft language to the two dozen counties that have accepted refugees within the past two years. . . .
There's much more at MPR--check out the whole article.
Additional reporting is up at Willmar Radio (Kandiyohi County Board votes to continue hosting refugees, includes sound clips from commissioners) and the West Central Tribune (Kandiyohi County to continue accepting refugees for resettlement). The paper's news brief notes that Wednesday's edition will include more information. [end update]
Minnesota Public Radio's Riham Feshir tweeted earlier this afternoon:
They called it the toughest vote this year.
— Riham Feshir (@RihamFeshir) December 3, 2019
In the end, vote passed 3-2 including chairman of the board voting against.
The "toughest vote" was outlined in a December 1 article in the West Central Tribune, Kandiyohi County Board to consider letter of consent for refugee resettlement:
In September, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13888 on enhancing state and local involvement in refugee resettlement.
The order requires states and localities which wish to continue to be a location where refugees are settled to offer, in writing, its consent to the federal government. The Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners will consider the request for the letter of consent at its Dec. 3 meeting.
The Willmar Human Rights Commission first took the issue up at its Nov. 19 meeting, first recommending the Willmar City Council give its written consent to continue being a home for refugees. However, according to a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department, only states, counties or county-equivalents can give approval to resettle refugees.
According to an online source, Commissioners Corky Berg, Harlan Madsen, and Roger Imdieke voted in favor of the letter of consent. Board chair Roland Nissen and Commissioner Steve Ahmann voted against it.
Willmar is home to Somali and Karen refugees.
Earlier this year, Bluestem Prairie was first to report Kandiyohi Co Commish Ahmann only MN elected to sign Say No to Interfaith Dialogue declaration.
The entire county commission meeting was streamed live. Here's the YouTube:
Photo: The Kandiyohi County board of commissioners.
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