WHEREAS, Minnesota’s reputation for a strong economy and commitment to the social safety net has resulted in successful refugee resettlement since the 1800s; and

WHEREAS, Minnesota’s robust network of non-governmental resettlement agencies works with the federal government to resettle refugees, including resettlement in Hennepin County; and

WHEREAS, 1,345 refugees have been resettled in Hennepin County over the last five years; and

WHEREAS, the breadth of countries and regions of origin resettling in Minnesota continues to expand and includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eastern Europe, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, the success of refugee resettlement in Hennepin County has helped affirm the county’s status as an urban center of international importance; and

WHEREAS, on September 26, 2019, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 13888 - Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement (“Executive Order 13888”); and

WHEREAS, Executive Order 13888 requires refugee resettlement agencies to secure explicit support from state and local governments for resettlement of refugees; and

WHEREAS, in response to Executive Order 13888, on November 6, 2019, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the U.S. Department of State issued its FY 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity Reception and Placement Program for the initial resettlement (including initial reception and placement with sponsors) of refugees in the United States under Section 412(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and

WHEREAS, this FY 2020 funding opportunity requires resettlement agencies to “seek written consent for resettlement of refugees from the state governor’s office and the chief executive officer of the local government (county or county equivalent);” and

WHEREAS, to comply with the U.S. Department of State’s requirements, refugee resettlement agencies seeking funding for FY 2020 for resettlements in Hennepin County must apply for funding by January 21, 2020 and must include with their funding requests written consent from the State of Minnesota and Hennepin County; and

WHEREAS, there is pending litigation in federal court challenging the lawfulness of Executive Order 13888.

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directs the County Administrator to prepare letters of support for refugee resettlement within Hennepin County consistent with instructions contained in Executive Order 13888; authorizes the Chair of the Board to sign these letters; and delegates to the County Administrator and County Board Chair authority to execute any other documents required for compliance with Executive Order 13888; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that by taking this action, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners does not waive any arguments or objection to the legality of Executive Order 13888.