FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M ADITI DEBNATH.
>> TURNING TO WESTERN WISCONSIN, THE CHIPPEWA COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS PASSED A RESOLUTION THIS WEEK CALLING FOR A PAUSE ON
PLANS TO BRING REFUGEES TO THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY.
WHILE THE RESOLUTION IS NONBINDING, IT SENDS A MESSAGE
THAT MIRRORS SOME OF THE DIVISION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
MARISA WOJCIK REPORTS. >> WE BEGAN JUST AN EXPLORATORY
PROCESS. >> LAST SPRING, WORLD RELIEF
BEGAN LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY WHERE REFUGEES COULD FIND A NEW
HOME. OF CONSULTING WITH LOCAL
LEADERS, GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS, AS WELL AS SCHOOL BOARDS, LAW
ENFORCEMENT, POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS, APARTMENT -- YOU
KNOW, LANDLORDS, LOCAL CHURCHES AND OTHER FAITH AND NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS AND REALLY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS A
COMMUNITY THAT IS REALLY EAGER TO WELCOME REFUGEES AND WE
PROPOSED THAT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAS THE
ULTIMATE AUTHORITY ON WHERE REFUGEES ARE SETTLED.
>> IN THE FALL, THEY HELD A PUBLIC HEARING AND LOCAL NEWS
BEGAN COVERING PLANS TO RESETTLE ROUGHLY 75 REFUGEES IN THE AREA.
>> I STARTED TO GET MANY, MANY CALLS, EMAILS, EMAILS, CALLS.
>> REPRESENTATIVE KAREN HERD'S DISTRICT INCLUDES THE EAST EDGE
OF EAU CLAIRE. >> ARE WE PREPARED?
DO WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE?
TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE IT. >> SHE SAID NOT BEING AWARE OF
THE PLANS MADE HER UNPREPARED TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
>> IT WAS JUST THAT THE PUBLIC WASN'T AWARE OF IT, BECAUSE 75
PEOPLE COMING IN FROM MINNESOTA AND ANOTHER STATE, THEY'RE
COMING HERE ON THEIR OWN. THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO COME HERE
ON THEIR OWN. THEY'RE MOVING THEIR FAMILIES
HERE AND GETTING A JOB. THEY'RE PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT MOST LIKELY ARE GOING TO BE DEPENDENT
UPON SERVICES. >> WORLD RELIEF SAYS THAT'S
TYPICALLY NOT THE CASE. >> THERE'S VERY STRONG FOCUS ON
THE FEDERAL REFUGEE SETTLEMENT PROGRAMS TO HELP REFUGEES FIND
WORK WITHIN THE FIRST 90 DAYS AFTER THEY ARRIVE AND BE
ECONOMICALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT AS NEEDS, ACTUALLY, RIGHT NOW SO
THAT WE CAN PROVIDE PEOPLE WHO ARE AUTHORIZED TO WORK.
IT'S A WIN-WIN. >> I AM SUPPORTIVE OF PEOPLE
COMING TO OUR COUNTRY AS LONG AS THEY ARE COMING LEGALLY, SO,
YES, ABSOLUTELY, LET THEM COME. >> SHE SAYS HER ISSUE IS PROPER
PUBLIC NOTICE AND INPUT. WORLD RELIEF SAYS THEY DID HAVE
CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, AS IS REQUIRED IN
THE FEDERAL REFUGEE ACT OF 1980. IT SAYS AGENCIES LIKE WORLD
RELIEF MUST WORK IN CLOSE COOPERATION AND ADVANCE
CONSULTATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
THE LAW ALSO OUTLINES CRITERIA, ENSURING A REFUGEE IS NOT
SETTLED IN AN AREA HIGHLY IMPACTED.
FOR REPRESENTATIVE HERD. SHE AUTHORED A BILL THAT
OUTLINES SPECIFICS FOR CONTACTING LOCAL ELECTED
OFFICIALS. THE EQUIVALENT OF PERMISSION?
>> NOT AT ALL. INPUT.
THAT'S ALL THIS IS. COULD WE BE AT THE TABLE TOO?
>> THE REASON WE'RE OPPOSED TO THIS BILL IS WE THINK IT IS NOT
NECESSARY. ROBUST PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY
CONSULTATION. VERY CAREFULLY.
>> THE PROPOSAL SAYS IF A LOCAL OFFICIAL CONNECTS WITH A FEDERAL
OR NONPROFIT AGENCY RELATING TO REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, IT MUST BE
REPORTED TO EVERY CITY, VILLAGE, TOWN, COUNTY, AND SCHOOL
DISTRICT TOUCHING A 100-MILE RADIUS FROM WHERE A PROPOSED
REFUGEE WOULD BE PLACED. EACH LOCAL BODY CONTACTED MUST
TAKE IT UP AS A MEETING AGENDA ITEM AND TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> IT'S VERY CONCEIVABLE THAT EVERY SINGLE PRELIMINARY
CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT WOULD NEED TO TRIGGER
MORE THAN A THOUSAND MEETINGS, FOLLOWED BY FOLLOW-UP MEETINGS
THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED, FOLLOWED BY POTENTIAL RESOLUTIONS IN
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE UNLIKELY EVER TO SEE A REFUGEE RESETTLED
INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR COMMUNITY.
AT ALL. IT'S ACTUALLY VERY MINIMAL
BECAUSE THEY JUST HAVE TO BE NOTIFIED AND IF THEY WANT TO BE
A PART OF THE DISCUSSION, THEY CAN SEND A REPRESENTATIVE.
SO IT WOULD BE THOSE INTERESTED PARTIES THAT WANT TO.
>> BUT REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS TAKE ISSUE WITH MORE
THAN JUST NOTICE. IN A LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN TOM
TIFFANIE TO THE EAU CLAIRE CITY COUNCIL, HE WROTE, PLANS BY A
CONTROVERSIAL NGO TO RESETTLE A LARGE NUMBER OF REFUGEES
POTENTIALLY FROM SOMALIA, SYRIA, AND OTHER UNSTABLE COUNTRIES IN
THE EAU CLAIRE AREA HAVE RAISED UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERNS AMONG
LOCAL RESIDENTS. GIVEN THE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS
IN THESE CONDITIONS AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S ALARMING
TRACK RECORD WHEN IT COMES TO VETTING NEWCOMERS, IT IS
INCONCEIVABLE THAT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WOULD BE KEPT IN THE
DARK IN THIS WAY. >> THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
QUESTIONS, WHAT COUNTRIES PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
OUR VIEW IS THAT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S JOB TO FIGURE OUT,
IS TO DETERMINE IF THESE PEOPLE HAVE FLED FEAR OF PERSECUTION,
WHICH IS THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF REFUGEE, IF THEY'RE VETTED BY
OUR GOVERNMENT. A LOT OF THE CONCERNS PEOPLE
HAVE ARE BASED ON CONFUSION, WHICH IS REALLY UNDERSTANDABLE
BECAUSE THE DYNAMICS AT THE BORDER, WHICH ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT, ARE IN THE NEWS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>> AND REPRESENTATIVE HERD AGREES.
CONFUSION, UNEQUIVOCALICALLY. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE OF
REFUGEES VETTED BY OUR GOVERNMENT AND IT'S A VERY
RIGOROUS PROCESS THEY GO THROUGH THAT TAKES YEARS AND YEARS FOR
THEM TO FINALLY BE-APPROVED. >> BECAUSE OF THIS AND OTHER
STEPS OUTLINED IN THE 1980 FEDERAL LAW, WORLD RELIEF
WORRIES ABOUT THE MESSAGE THIS BILL SENDS.
>> IS IT STIGMATIZING REFUGEES? IT IMPLIES THAT WE NEED THIS
NOTICE AND POTENTIAL RESOLUTION PROCESS ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF A
SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM THESE COUNTRIES.
>> THE NARRATIVE IN THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DOMINATED BY
SMALL MINORITY OPPOSED TO THE PLANNED REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT.
>> IN JANUARY, THE EAU CLAIRE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSED
A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING SUPPORT OF REFUGEES MAKING EAU CLAIRE
THEIR NEW HOME. >> I THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF
PEOPLE IN EAU CLAIRE HAVE BEEN VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS
IDEA OF WELCOMING A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF REFUGEE FAMILIES
TO THE COMMUNITY. >> EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE FIRST
FAMILY ARRIVED IN THE AREA, COMING FROM THE DEMOCRATIC