Action Alert: Three Anti-Refugee Resolutions

Three Anti-Refugee Resolutions on SCC Board Agenda March 12th

This Tuesday, March 12th the St. Croix County Board will act on three resolutions;

We need your help!

 We need all those who live in St. Croix County to email all of the St. Croix County Board members asking them to reject all three anti-refugee resolutions on the agenda this Tuesday, March 12th at 5:00 p.m.

 This anti-refugee sentiment is not going away. It is alive and well with three resolutions  moving forward when in reality, none should be moving forward.

Email the St. Croix County Board members listed below today. Ask them to reject ALL 3 resolutions on the agenda. 

Emails:

Bob.Long@sccwi.gov, Lisa.Lind@sccwi.gov, Shawn.Anderson@sccwi.gov, Cathy.Leaf@sccwi.gov, Carah.Koch@sccwi.gov, Paul.Adams@sccwi.gov, Paul.Berning@sccwi.gov, Rick.Ottino@sccwi.gov, Bob.Feidler@sccwi.gov, dave.ostness@sccwi.gov, Scott.Counter@sccwi.gov, daniel.hansen@sccwi.gov, Ryan.Sherley@sccwi.gov, Greg.Tellijohn@sccwi.gov, Mark.Carlson@sccwi.gov, Mike.Barcalow@sccwi.gov, Bob.Swanepoel@sccwi.gov, Jerry.VanSomeren@sccwi.gov, Tim.Ramberg@sccwi.gov

A simple letter asking them to reject all three resolutions will do. Below is a listing of each resolution and additional information following.

❌ #1 Vote “NO” on “Resolution Supporting Wisconsin Senate Bill 916 Related to
Refugee Resettlement” This Resolution is based on disinformation about communications regarding the anticipated resettlement of up to 75 refugees within the Eau Claire area that were made between World Relief of Chippewas Valley and the employees and elected
officials of local government entities. The accusations that were made about lack of communication and transparency in Eau Claire were all false. These false accusations and disinformation is what the MAGA GOP's claim was based on.

❌ #2 Vote “NO” on “Resolution Supporting the ‘CARE Act’ Proposed by
Congressman Tom Tiffany Related to Amending Section 412 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act”. It is based on false allegation from Tom Tiffany. It is impermissible under our U.S. Constitution for Congress to delegate its final
decision-making power over refugee resettlement to state or local governments,
as the proposed CARE Act would do.

❌ #3 Vote “NO” on “Resolution Requesting An Immediate Pause on Refugee
Resettlement in St. Croix County”. Refugee resettlement is governed exclusively by federal law.

Most parents would go to great lengths to provide for their children and to help their family prosper. Families move to find work, to go to good schools, to have a better life for their children, to find affordable housing and to find a community that values who they are. Families in the Official US Refugee Program  are no different. Additionally, they may wait years in a refugee camp until the extensive vetting process is completed for the clearance to move to the US.

US Congress Representative, Tom Tiffany and some local MAGA GOP candidates for Town and the St. Croix County Board are providing disinformation to manufacture a crisis to bring distraction and attention to the immigration issues at the US/Mexico Border. They are using local and county boards as political disinformation campaigns and getting county boards to adopt anti-refugee symbolic resolutions for their political use.

Taking advantage of people in crisis who fear for their family’s safety and wanting a better life for their children to support their political aspirations is morally wrong. It additionally burdens the local county boards with work, unruly public meetings and unnecessary legal costs. The refugee program is a federal program. The manufactures of this conspired non-issue in St. Croix County should be helping to solve the issues at the US/Mexico border not making it worse. Our representative in Congress, Tom Tiffany could be solving the problem by working with his colleagues and sending the Border Bill to President Biden. But even though the Bill includes all of the measures the GOP wanted, the MAGA GOP would rather use it as a weapon than fix immigration.

March 5th Meeting Summary

We opposed and the anti-refugee resolution was postponed in January. However, the MAGA GOP won't stop. They keep pushing the St. Croix County Board for anti-refugee resolutions. This past March 5th, the St. Croix County Board invited a representative from Wisconsin’s Refugee Program to inform the Board. After his presentation, during the public comment the board heard from many anti-refugee/anti-immigrant individuals speak. Attendees were from St. Croix County as well as surrounding counties. Disinformation was rampant.

We know the MAGA GOP has been misusing the refugee issue as a way to gather support for their local, state and national candidates ahead of the election. Campaigning, sign distribution and passing out disinformation was observed at this public meeting. Demonizing people in crisis for political benefit while spreading disinformation is not what America stands for.

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The FACTS:

Below is an interview with Matthew Soerens, Vice Present of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief. This interview dispels many of the misconceptions and disinformation shared by our local and State GOP. If you plan to attend, please take a minute and listen.

Below is a FAQ from World Relief, specifically answering questions about the refugee resettlement in the Chippewa Valley.