[Updated] Statement on Refugee Resettlement and the President’s September Executive Order

[Update on December 17, 2019]

On December 12, Hennepin County Board Chair Marion Greene announced the plan for the Board to vote on a Board Action Request (BAR) for immediate discussion and action at our meeting on January 7, 2020. I am strongly in favor of continuing refugee resettlement in Hennepin, and will be voting yes.

The Board Action Request we will take up can be seen here (PDF). This BAR provides background, spells out why the county must act, and authorizes a consent letter to be submitted to the federal government.

Hennepin must submit our request for resettlement agencies’ funding is due on January 21, 2020.

Note: On December 13, Governor Tim Walz gave his formal consent to let refugees keep settling in Minnesota.

[Original statement on December 11, 2019]

Minnesota has a long history of welcoming refugees into our communities, and I am proud to take the actions needed to ensure this continues. Many residents have reached out in the last few days related to Burleigh County (ND)’s attempt to stop refugee resettlement, asking me what action Hennepin will take.

I immediately connected with County Administration, and after some conversation, it is my understanding that Hennepin must provide a written letter by mid-January, which states that Hennepin County consents to continue refugee resettlement.

Background

On September 26, 2019, President Trump signed an Executive Order on Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement, which requires both state and local governments to provide written consent in order to resettle refugees in their jurisdictions. This means that if we take no action, we will be unable to accept refugees in Hennepin County.

Action

In order to comply with the timeline, the Hennepin County Commission will consider this issue via a Board Action Request (BAR). I anticipate that this type of action will fall under our Immediate Approvals section, so it will be discussed at a Board meeting and not Committee. The next scheduled Board meetings are December 12, 2019 and January 7, 2020, and I will be voting in favor of continuing refugee resettlement in Hennepin County.