The issue of refugee resettlement is in limbo after a federal judge last week put President Trump’s order on hold — and over 60 Minnesota counties have not made a decision whether they’ll accept refugees. Matt Hilgart with the Association of Minnesota Counties says it’s a completely new topic for county officials. “No one that I’ve talked to, commissioner or administrator, has called me and said, I’m so excited to take this issue up,” Hilgart says. “It’s divisive. They are not familiar with refugee resettlement programs. It’s a hard conversation to have in communities.”
Hilgart says they’re advising county officials, if they were planning to talk about the issue they should still do so — because it’s up-in-the-air whether the “hold” on President Trump’s order will be permanent.
Officials in two dozen Minnesota counties have told the Trump administration they’ll accept refugees for resettlement and one county, Beltrami, said “no” on a vote of 3-to-2 by its Board of Commissioners.