St. Croix County Approves Refugee Resettlement Resolutions

The St. Croix County Board voted to approve three resolutions this week on the resettlement of refugees in the Chippewa Valley.

The resolutions were similar to some proposed in Eau Claire and Chippewa County following the announcement that 75 refugees would be resettled in the region this year.

The first resolution was in support of a state senate bill to improve how local governments are notified about the resettlement of refugees. That legislation would require every municipality within 100 miles of a proposed resettlement site to designate a representative to work with the federal government and the resettlement agency overseeing the project.

The second expressed support for legislation proposed by Congressmen Tom Tiffany and Derrick Van Arden called the Community Assent for Refugee Entry Act. The legislation would essentially give any local government the power to reject the resettlement of refugees in their area.

The third resolution called for a pause on the resettlement of the planned 75 refugees to the Chippewa Valley, of which about one-third have already arrived.

All three resolutions passed the in the St. Croix County board with a comfortable margin of at least 7 or more votes.

Some who spoke against the resolution shared opinions on whether local government officials should have a say in who is allowed to move to their area. Others said they felt voting in support of the resolution was the best decision for their constituents.

The St. Croix County Board did not conduct a public comment session during the meeting.