SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Minnehaha County Commissioner Gerald Beninga will have to help decide whether the county should accept any more refugees.
He half-jokes that he’s glad the new Trump Administration order allowing local governments to opt-out of refugee resettlement wasn’t around when his ancestors came to the area.
“Frankly, if that process was in effect when we were talking about Norwegians and Germans, probably none of us would be here.”
Beninga tells his fellow commissioners that the local employers he’s talked to call refugees some of the best workers they’ve ever had.
The County Commission is expected to take up the opt-out process at next week’s meeting. The public is invited to comment.
Lutheran Social Services is requesting permission to resettle up to 100 refugees.
