“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’”
This verse is from Matthew 2:13, and it tells about Mary’s and Joseph’s flight to Egypt following the birth of Jesus. Although this part of the Nativity story is not typically our focus during the holiday season, it is especially relevant this December as counties across the country grapple with a difficult decision.
Following a Sept. 26 executive order from President Trump, state and county governments must decide whether or not they will accept refugees. Once implemented, the order will allow refugee resettlement only in those states and counties that have submitted written consent.
Gov. Tim Walz has already said Minnesota will remain a welcoming state to refugees, and last week the Kandiyohi County Board voted 3-2 to remain open to refugees. It was the first county in Minnesota to vote on the measure, but hopefully not the last.
The Kandiyohi County vote was in response to a request from the five resettlement agencies in Minnesota. It does not appear that commissioners from McLeod and Meeker counties have received similar requests yet, but that does not mean they shouldn’t take up the issue on their own. Indeed, we think they should take up the issue and vote to make a statement that our communities are open to people of all backgrounds.
While Meeker and McLeod counties are not currently being considered for refugee resettlement, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be in the future. By refusing to take the issue up this month, however, the commissioners will in effect be saying, “No, we don’t want refugees.”
We believe diversity is a strength, not a weakness. There are many things we can learn from other cultures and people, and many things we can teach them to help make their lives better as well.
Refugees can also be valuable members of a community. According to a letter Kandiyohi commissioners received from the five resettlement agencies, refugees contribute $227 million in state and local taxes each year. In a tight labor market, it is possible that refugees may be able to help employers fill much-needed positions.
Back in 2017, when the Hutchinson City Council considered a resolution declaring the city to be welcoming to people of all backgrounds, many believed it was unnecessary because the community was already welcoming. Now the county must decide, by order of President Trump, whether it is truly welcoming or not to people of all backgrounds. And it must do so by Dec. 25, according to a deadline set by the resettlement agencies.
That’s right, the deadline for states and counties to proclaim whether or not they are open to accepting refugees is Christmas Day. We’re not sure if that was intentional or not, but it certainly is an interesting coincidence. Or perhaps it is no coincidence at all?
Jesus and his parents were refugees fleeing the murderous King Herod, not unlike refugees coming to the U.S. today, fleeing tyrannical governments and leaders.
We are grateful for diversity and the value refugees and others add to communities. We hope commissioners in McLeod and Meeker counties will take this as an opportunity to demonstrate what we believe is the true meaning of Christmas — love for all mankind.
