OCA DECRIES LOCAL GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO STOP REFUGEES FROM SETTLING IN THEIR STATES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15 January 2020
Contact: Maddie Schumacher | Policy Associate
202.223.5500 | maddie.schumacher@ocanational.org

Washington, DC - OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates strongly condemns the increasing exclusion of and discrimination against refugees. Recently, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and South Dakota’s Minnehaha County Commission have openly considered whether they will continue to allow refugees to settle in their local areas. This is open discrimination against what should be a protected class - and runs contrary to OCA and American values. Furthermore, the ability for local governments to legally discriminate against migrants sets a dangerous precedent for discrimination against other groups, like homeless individuals, unemployed families, and people with disabilities.

In September 2019, President Trump issued an executive order that allowed state and local governments to opt out of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program. This means that even if a state approves of refugee resettlement, a local municipality may veto refugee settlement in the area. 

On January 10, 2020, Gov. Abbott declared Texas closed to new refugees. Refugees would be allowed to live in Texas only after they had first settled in another state. This week, the Minnehaha County Commission in South Dakota will decide whether they, too, will bar new refugees from settling down in their community. This would directly counter South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s decision to welcome refugee resettlement in the state. 

“This is an ill-conceived executive order that balkanizes immigrant settlement by allowing jurisdictions to veto. It is incredibly alarming that it has not been challenged and is being implemented by local governments,” said Roland Hwang, OCA National Vice President of Public Affairs. “This country has been built in part by the blood, sweat, and tears of immigrants and refugees. In one of the richest countries in the world, it is un-American and inhumane to close our doors to those needing refuge and looking to build a new life. OCA will continue to work within our legal coalitions to challenge the President’s executive order, and we call on our members to double down in asserting that immigrants and refugees are welcome here.”

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national civil rights organization dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

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