Request for Committee Action
A briefing memo explaining the purpose, background, and impact of the requested action.
Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs update (RCA-2021-01141)
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
To Committee(s)
| # | Committee Name | Meeting Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Policy & Government Oversight Committee | October 6, 2021 |
Action Item(s)
| # | File Type | Subcategory | Item Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receive & File | Presentation | Receiving and filing an update from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. |
Ward / Neighborhood / Address
| # | Ward | Neighborhood | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | All Wards |
Background Analysis
The City of Minneapolis recognizes the importance and contributions of our immigrant and refugee residents, who compose nearly 15% of the population of the City. In March 2021, the Minneapolis City Council advanced a staff direction to assess all City work touching immigrant and refugee residents and report results and recommendations to Council, and this work is ongoing. In addition, the City’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, in partnership with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, is engaged in the Gateways for Growth Challenge, a 1 year initiative including external engagement with immigrant and refugee advocacy and service organizations and multijurisdictional partners with the goal of developing a blueprint of goals, strategies and recommendations to promote immigrant and refugee inclusion and strengthen a sense of belonging for the City’s Immigrant and Refugee Residents.
Also, since 2017 the City has partnered with nonprofit immigration legal service organizations to improve access to free and competent immigration legal services for residents to improve public safety by reducing deportations and helping residents of the City obtain more secure immigration status in the United States.
Finally, immigration developments continue in frequency under the Administration of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris. Following a report offered in March 2021 highlighting the first immigration focused policy actions of the Biden/Harris administration, current examples of situations where our country both upholds and clearly fails to uphold the human rights of migrants assists in formulating a clear assessment of this administration’s immigration policies.
The presentation will include information on current immigration developments (Haitian expulsions at the US/Mexico Border and Afghan evacuees in the United States), progress on March 2021 Staff Direction, and update on impact of immigration services provided to Minneapolis residents by partner legal service organization. Receive and file includes powerpoint and brief report of immigration legal service contract results.
FISCAL NOTE
- No fiscal impact anticipated