News > Immigration In Minnesota
Action Alert: Support Minneapolis Funding for Immigrant Services
Posted on Dec 02 2022
Council Members Jason Chavez and Aisha Chughtai are asking the Minneapolis City Council to redirect $150,000 to the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department’s Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs. ILCM has filed a comment in support of this request (see below).
Minneapolis residents can also comment in support of this action, You can
- Submit written Public Comment on any part of the Budget before December 6th using this form. (For “Where is this issue being considered?” Select “City Council,” then “Budget Committee” and for “Subject or file number” write “2023 Budget”)
- Testify in person on December 6th at 6pm at City Hall (350 S 4th St). Read the rules for participating in Public Comment.
- Email City Council Members sharing your comments. Find contact information for all Council Offices here.
- Watch the Markup Sessions live on December 1st and December 2nd at 10am on the City Council TV.
ILCM’s public comment in support of this action:
I am writing in support of the proposal of Council Members Jason Chavez and Aisha Chughtai redirecting $150,000 to the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department’s Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs.
Nearly 2,000 new Minnesotans[1] braved a November snowstorm to take their oaths as new citizens of the United States on November 29. They came from 99 countries and had worked and waited for years for this moment. Like nearly half of the immigrants in Minnesota, they are now citizens.
Many others still wait. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service estimates that more than 41,000 residents of Hennepin County are eligible to become citizens.[2] Lack of funds and information and the lengthy and complicated application process make it difficult for many to complete the process.
Citizens or not, immigrants and refugees make huge contributions to Minneapolis and to all of Minnesota.
In 2019, Minneapolis was home to more than 63,000 immigrants and refugees, who made up about 15 percent of the total population of the city. Collectively, they earned $1.7 billion, and paid $284.8 million in federal taxes and $159 million in state and local taxes. In comparison with U.S.-born residents, they were more likely to be working-age, and more likely to be employed. They made up disproportionate shares of workers employed in health care, construction, transportation, warehousing, manufacturing, and hospitality.[3]
New immigrants continue to arrive. Between September 2021 and September 2022, Minnesota welcomed 1,363 Afghan evacuees.[4] At least 500 Ukrainians arrived in Minnesota between March and September 2022.[5] People fleeing war, violence, and persecution continue to arrive and to be welcomed in Minnesota and in Minneapolis. They need assistance in the first months and years after their arrival, as they become integrated into the social and economic fabric of the community. They also need continuing legal assistance to make their way through the maze of immigration applications and regulations.
Funding from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs has been successful in helping Minneapolis residents to thrive in our community. The funds allow families to stay together and individuals to stay in this country and continue contributing to our communities.
An investment in services to immigrants, and specifically in legal services, is an acknowledgment of the key contributions and unique challenges of the immigrant community in Minnesota.
Respectfully submitted,
Veena Iyer
Executive Director
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
[1] Zoë Jackson, “They pledged allegiance to the flag for the first time as U.S. citizens.” Star Tribune, 11/30/2022. <https://www.startribune.com/they-pledged-allegiance-to-the-flag-for-the-first-time-as-u-s-citizens/600231194/>
[2] “Eligible to Naturalize Fact Sheet.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. <https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/fact-sheets/Eligible_to_Naturalize_Fact_Sheet_CBSA_MINNEAPOLIS.pdf> (consulted 11/30/2022)
[3] New Americans In Minneapolis. New American Economy brief, 6/16/2021. <https://research.newamericaneconomy.org/report/new-americans-in-minneapolis-2/> (consulted 11/30/2022)
[4] “Welcoming Afghan Evacuees.” MN Department of Human Services. <https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/services/refugee-assistance/afghan-evacuees/> (consulted 11/30/2022)
[5] Nina Moini, “Ukrainian Teens Start School in Minnesota.” MPR, 9/2/2022. <https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/09/01/ukrainian-teens-start-school-in-minnesota>