Minnesotans must be furious, right? Fighting President tooth and nail in favor of more refugees…people are leaving Minnesota in droves!!

In a first for the state, a divided Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to accept more refugees into its increasingly diverse community.

The measure comes months after President Trump signed an executive order requiring state and local governments to give permission for refugee resettlement efforts to continue in their communities. It also portends the debate other county boards might be faced with as a federal deadline looms.

Before Tuesday’s 3-2 vote in Willmar, Minn., the county seat of Kandiyohi, some commissioners expressed confusion about the policy, as well as hesitation about the vote.

Trump issued the executive order in September, but county officials say they didn’t receive notice until late November and were asked to make a quick decision by Dec. 25.

Kandiyohi County Board Chair Roland Nissen voted against the measure, citing a lack of information.

“You can’t legislate people to welcome someone they don’t care to welcome, but you can do it personally,” Nissen said. “We shouldn’t judge people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. That doesn’t mean that we can’t look at what the taxpayers are putting out for these expenses.”

Nissen added that he’s received dozens of messages from constituents who had strong feelings on both sides. He also mentioned a pending lawsuit filed in a Maryland federal court by resettlement agencies that challenges Trump’s executive order. If a judge halts the order, local votes on the matter could be unnecessary.

Others on the board said they’ve been resettling refugees for decades, and that it’s a safe way for immigrants to arrive as opposed to crossing the border illegally.

“I will not support a ‘no’ vote because I do not think it sends the appropriate nor the honest message to our community, our county and our country,” said Commissioner Harlan Madsen. “I don’t think I’m going to change anybody’s mind in this room if we talk through the next 20 years.”

More:

https://www.sahanjournal.com/immigration/in-a-split-vote-one-minnesota-county-says-yes-to-more-refugees/