City Council Prez to Congressman: ‘E.C. Embraces the Chance to Welcome New Immigrants’
Berge responds to U.S. Rep. Tiffany’s concerns over refugee resettlement
In an open letter to a Wisconsin congressman who questioned the city’s involvement in a plan to resettle refugees, Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge wrote that refugee resettlement is a federal issue but that coordination with local agencies “is ongoing in a transparent manner.”
In a letter to U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, which she shared with the media this week, Berge noted that the federal law says Congress must provide refugee assistance and requires that resettlement decisions be made by federal agencies.
Tiffany – who represents a wide area of northern Wisconsin, although not the city or county of Eau Claire – raised concerns that the public had been “kept in the dark” about the potential arrival of refugees to the area in the coming year.
Berge’s letter pointed back toward the federal government on the issue: “As a member of Congress, Congressman Tiffany is expected to know this policy and is uniquely positioned to ensure it is carried out properly and safely for the immigrants and our current residents of the Chippewa Valley,” Berge wrote. “The responsibility to ensure that the laws of the Country protect us and reflect our values rests firmly upon Congressman Tiffany and we look to him to take proper steps to ensure that the law is followed. It is not the responsibility of the City or others.”
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The responsibility to ensure that the laws of the Country protect us and reflect our values rests firmly upon Congressman Tiffany and we look to him to take proper steps to ensure that the law is followed. It is not the responsibility of the City or others.
EMILY BERGE
EAU CLAIRE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Berge’s letter came in response to a letter from Tiffany released Oct. 27, which questioned efforts by a Christian humanitarian organization, World Relief, to potentially settle about 75 refugees in the Eau Claire area by Sept. 30, 2024.
“As you know,” Tiffany’s letter began, “plans by a controversial non-governmental organization (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. Even more frustrating, representatives of this NGO reportedly met with the city manager well in advance of this announcement – but the city manager did not share this information with local officials or the public. If true, this is deeply disconcerting.”
Tiffany went on to criticize the “Biden administration’s lax approach to screening incoming foreigners” and cited instances where Afghan immigrants went on to commit crimes.
The letter continued: “In addition to potential safety considerations, residents have voiced concerns about the costs of absorbing these refugees into the local school system, their impact on housing costs and availability, and the additional strain they will place on social safety net programs – particularly at a time when many current residents are grappling with rising costs and struggling to make ends meet. People have also raised legitimate questions about the ability of these new arrivals to adapt to basic American social and cultural norms.”
On Oct. 23, World Relief held a community gathering at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire about its local work titled “Who is My Neighbor?” – a reference to the question that prompted Jesus to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke. According to local media reports, a group of residents protested outside the meeting, holding signs with messages such as “Who Vets the Refugees?” and “We Demand Transparency.” Others questioned the costs that local government might incur from the refugees’ arrival.
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People have also raised legitimate questions about the ability of these new arrivals to adapt to basic American social and cultural norms.
TOM TIFFANY
U.S CONGRESSMAN, WISCONSIN'S 7TH DISTRICT
In her letter to the congressman, Berge noted that “the Refugee Act requires U.S. agencies to consult and coordinate with state and local authorities and to financially support resettlement.”
According to a Frequent Asked Questions document published by World Relief, while there are costs associated with refugees – including vetting, initial resettlement, and some public benefits – studies have found that over time refugees have a net positive impact on the nation’s economy.
While it is unknown where refugees to the Chippewa Valley will come from, World Relief said most refugees who arrived in Wisconsin last year were from Burma (654) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (488). Refugees from those two countries made up more than 80% of refugees to Wisconsin in fiscal year 2023, according to the U.S. State Department.
Berge noted that immigrants – from Germans to Norwegians to the Hmong – have been coming to the Chippewa Valley for centuries.
“Eau Claire embraces the chance to welcome new immigrants to our community and looks to the federal government to ensure those new neighbors come here through a process that is safe, supportive, and secure for all,” she wrote.
Below is the full text of the letter from U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany as well as the response from Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge.
U.S. Rep. Tiffany’s Letter to President Berge
October 27, 2023
The Honorable Emily Berge
Council President, City of Eau Claire
203 S. Farwell St.
Eau Claire, WI 54702
Dear President Berge,
As you know, plans by a controversial non-governmental organization (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.(1) Even more frustrating, representatives of this NGO reportedly met with the city manager well in advance of this announcement – but the city manager did not share this information with local officials or the public. If true, this is deeply disconcerting.
As you also know, Somalia is an incredibly dangerous country. According to the U.S. Department of State, “[v]iolent crime, such as kidnapping and murder, [are] common” and “[t]errorists continue to plot kidnappings, bombings and other attacks.”(2) Moreover, child marriage and polygamy in Somalia are widespread,(3) with reports suggesting that one-third of Somali girls reportedly married off before they reach 18 years of age – and nearly one in five married before they turn 15.(4)
Syria, another country that has been mentioned as a potential source of refugees, is also a hotbed of instability and terrorism. According to a 2023 State Department report, “[n]o part of Syria is safe from violence,” and ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates remain active there.(5) I raise these concerns because the Biden administration’s lax approach to screening incoming foreigners is well known. The resettlement of tens of thousands of Afghans in 2021, for example, resulted in the admission of several individuals with past criminal convictions(6) – including people who had been previously deported,(7) and the resettlement of others who went on to commit appalling crimes ranging from assault(8) to sexual abuse of minors.(9)
In addition to potential safety considerations, residents have voiced concerns about the costs of absorbing these refugees into the local school system, their impact on housing costs and availability, and the additional strain they will place on social safety net programs – particularly at a time when many current residents are grappling with rising costs and struggling to make ends meet. People have also raised legitimate questions about the ability of these new arrivals to adapt to basic American social and cultural norms.
Given the dangerous conditions in these countries, 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. I hope you will investigate these troubling allegations and take appropriate action.
I would also ask that you provide residents of Eau Claire and the broader Chippewa Valley with a robust opportunity to submit public comment on any resettlement plans, and that you collaborate with state and county officials to conduct a full assessment of the costs of any such resettlement to Wisconsin taxpayers.
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
3 https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/profiles/somali/index.html
6 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/30/convicted-rapist-reached-us-afghan-evacuation-flig/
7 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/sep/16/second-major-felon-found-on-afghan-evacuation-flig/
8 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/sep/24/alleged-assault-female-fort-bliss-service-member-a/
9 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/sep/23/afghan-evacuees-us-military-base-charged-domestic-/
Berge’s Response to Tiffany:
October 30, 2023
Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07)
2620 Stewart Avenue, Suite 312
Wausau, WI 54401
Re: Response to your letter concerning the Chippewa Valley Refugee Resettlement
Dear Congressman Tiffany:
It has long been our Country’s policy to accept and welcome those in need of protection. It has served us well. We are almost all immigrants, most of us now the beneficiaries of fateful decisions made by grandparents or earlier generations to leave a homeland for the promises of the American Dream. For those who now make the decision to immigrate, it is a long and difficult process, one intended to offer people opportunity while protecting and furthering the interests of our current citizens. Eau Claire embraces the chance to welcome new immigrants to our community and looks to the federal government to ensure those new neighbors come here through a process that is safe, supportive, and secure for all.
The Refugee Act states that it is the intent of Congress to provide refugee assistances and places the responsibility for resettlement decisions with federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of State. 8 U.S.C. § 1522(a)(2)(A). As a member of Congress, Congressman Tiffany is expected to know this policy and is uniquely positioned to ensure it is carried out properly and safely for the immigrants and our current residents of the Chippewa Valley. The responsibility to ensure that the laws of the Country protect us and reflect our values rests firmly upon Congressman Tiffany and we look to him to take proper steps to ensure that the law is followed. It is not the responsibility of the City or others. I am heartened that Congressman Derrick Van Orden along with the offices of Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Tammy Baldwin have reached out to me personally to ask questions and listen, rather than make assumptions.
Immigrants are a part of the Eau Claire story, and we have been made better by those willing to make the Chippewa Valley their new home. Immigration has occurred throughout our history. We are on Native lands that were then settled by early German and Norwegian immigrants. Hmong immigrants are a major part of Eau Claire and other Wisconsin communities, as are nationalities, races, and religions from across the Americas and the world. Immigrants are often fleeing areas that are unsafe and seeking refuge in our country and in our communities. Once here and safe, they return so much more than we can give them, and we happily continue to welcome those who find that Eau Claire is a place to bring their talents and raise their families. We all share personal and financial enrichment from their presence.
The process of welcoming new immigrants is ongoing. World Relief has held a number of public meetings. The Refugee Act requires U.S. agencies to consult and coordinate with state and local authorities and to financially support resettlement. This has happened and is ongoing in a transparent manner. Misinformation or misplacing responsibilities hinders this effort and fails the public trust. The City is cooperating properly with federal agencies and World Relief, but it is not a local responsibility. It is the responsibility of the U.S. government to safely and properly locate, integrate, and support immigrants in communities such as Eau Claire. As a member of Congress, Congressman Tiffany is a part of the U.S. government. We expect and rely on him to do that work. Communicating to the public in a way that demonstrates knowledge, embraces one’s own responsibilities, and links those actions to our shared values, furthers trust. We will continue to do that good work of democratic government as leaders here in Eau Claire, and we invite Congressman Tiffany to begin doing so as well with us in partnership.
I encourage Congressman Tiffany and anyone else interested in this process to read the following resources:
City of Eau Claire’s webpage: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/government/our-divisions/citymanager/ edi-equity-diversity-inclusion/refugee-resettlement
The U.S. Department of State who administers this program: https://www.state.gov/refugeeadmissions/
World Relief FAQ regarding our new neighbors who will be arriving in Eau Claire: https://worldrelief.org/blwi-frequently-asked-questions-about-refugee-resettlement-in-thechippewa- valley/
Sincerely,
Emily K. Berge
President
Eau Claire City Council
