Some Republican candidates want to suspend refugee resettlement in Minnesota

[Deeq A.]

Minnesota has welcomed thousands of refugees since the federal resettlement process was set in 1980. So why does a trio of key Republicans up for election want to stop the program now?

Well, it depends on whom you ask.

Jeff Johnson, Jim Newberger and Jim Hagedorn have each said they will ask the federal government to pause refugee resettlement in Minnesota if elected Tuesday. And they’ve each made it a key issue in their campaigns.

Johnson, who is running for governor, said he is concerned about how much it costs taxpayers, as well as high unemployment rates among Somali men.

Hagedorn, who is running for U.S. House in the 1st Congressional District, claims refugees are poorly vetted and pose a threat to national security.

Newberger, a candidate for U.S. Senate, alleges that some refugees don’t want to follow American law.

The Democrats running against them support the state’s openness to refugees, arguing that they strengthen local communities. Immigration experts and advocates say that Republicans’ opposition to the program is purely political and misses the benefits the newcomers provide.

As Election Day nears, it is unclear what impact elected officials would even have over the flow of refugees into Minnesota. Here is what we know:

MINNESOTA’S INVOLVEMENT

In Minnesota, the state Department of Human Services oversees the federally funded refugee resettlement program.

The department acts as a coordinating entity. It distributes federal dollars to local agencies that resettle refugees upon arrival and works to connect refugees with employment and social services.

Minnesota has accepted more than 31,000 refugees since 2005, according to Minnesota DHS. More than 40 percent have come from Somalia.

Refugee arrivals have dropped considerably since President Donald Trump took office. Minnesota received 1,003 refugees last year — compared to 3,059 in 2016.

Through September of this year, Minnesota had taken in just 590 refugees.

CAN STATE OPT OUT?

Johnson has said that if he is elected governor, he will tell Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions that Minnesota’s participation in the program will end until he says otherwise.

States can opt out of coordinating refugee resettlement, according to Minnesota DHS. But it may not make much of a difference.

If Minnesota’s government were to opt out, the federal Department of Health and Human Services would name a new coordinator. In cases where this has happened, a local resettlement agency took on the responsibility.

“If a state decides to ‘withdraw’ or to ‘opt out’ of the refugee program, refugees will be placed in the state, but the state government will not have the opportunity to provide consultation or input on the resettlement process,” Minnesota DHS said.

Minnesota’s government also would have no say over federal funding for refugees and may not be able to “opt back in” later.

COSTS AND UNEMPLOYMENT

To Johnson, the decades-long program just doesn’t work the way it used to — for a couple of reasons. First, he said, he is concerned about how much refugees are costing taxpayers.

The costs of resettling refugees are steep; one researcher found that refugees cost an estimated $107,000 each to resettle. That includes the cost of food stamps, job training, social services and English lessons.

University of Notre Dame economics professor William Evans also found that refugees pay those expenses back after 20 years, plus another $21,000.

Johnson’s other concern is high unemployment among Somali men, which he said raises a question of “what are we doing wrong?”

Ben Walen, director of refugee services for the Minnesota Council of Churches, countered that the state is facing a workforce shortage. Stopping the flow of refugees, he said, goes against the needs of Minnesota’s economy.

“We have employers coming to us seeking to employ newly arrived refugees,” Walen said.

VETTING AND CONFORMING

Hagedorn and Newberger share different concerns. They both say refugees are poorly vetted and don’t want to conform to American life.

Hagedorn speculated that many refugees come from “countries that hate America” and pose terrorism threats that “we just don’t know about.” He said he would like to see the vetting process become merit-based.

Newberger alleges that some refugees “want to live under a different form of law.” He also mentioned safety concerns, pointing to the stabbing rampage at a St. Cloud mall in 2016. The suspect in the attack was Dahir Adan, who was born in Kenya but came to the United States as a refugee while still a child.

The U.S. should consider requiring refugees to sign a contract where they pledge to follow American law before entering the country, Newberger said.

“We need to shut down the program, fix it and then start it back up again,” Newberger said.

University of Minnesota associate professor Ryan Allen, who has studied immigration for 15 years, called many of the claims unfounded.

A refugee is defined as someone who has fled their country due to persecution, war or violence. They are vetted by the government for up to two years. The screening involves numerous background checks, biographic checks such as fingerprints and travel histories, as well as interviews.

Once here, refugees have lower incarceration rates than native-born Americans, according to a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The rate among refugees is “on the order of one-fifth the rate of natives,” the report states.

REALITY OR RHETORIC?

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Minnesota chapter, thinks politicians are using the refugee resettlement program to push anti-Muslim rhetoric.

“That’s why the topic of refugee resettlement is a huge topic, but it’s really just a Minnesota Nice way of saying ‘We don’t want Muslims here,’” Hussein said at a press gathering in October.

WHAT DEMOCRATS SAY

Tim Walz, the Democrat running for governor, sparred with Johnson on the issue during an October debate where Johnson explained his desire to suspend the refugee program. Walz expressed his support for welcoming refugees, saying they benefited the state economy in the long run.

On immigration, Walz has proposed to have Minnesota be a “sanctuary state,” which essentially draws a line between the role of local law enforcement and federal immigration officials. Johnson opposes it, saying Minnesota needs to enforce state and federal immigration laws.

Meanwhile, the campaign of Dan Feehan, the Democrat running against Hagedorn, responded to a question on refugee resettlement by saying he “is committed to comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens our borders, and ensures our economy and communities are vibrant.”

Amy Klobuchar, the Democrat running against Newberger, has said she has “long advocated for thorough vetting and have supported strong national security measures.” And she adds that refugees are proud additions to Minnesota’s community in a 2017 statement responding to a Trump executive order on refugees.

Source: Twincities.com