The Hennepin County Board recently voted in favor of using taxpayer dollars to help illegal immigrants facing deportation obtain legal support.
According to The Star Tribune, the Board approved a $275,000 fund to help illegal immigrants who can’t afford an attorney.
“I’m really glad to see the county taking this step towards providing due process to these residents. It is just a beginning step, but I think it’s an important statement about our relationship with immigrant communities,” Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene said as one of four on the Board who voted in favor of the proposal (pictured).
Others on the Board criticized the use of property tax dollars to help illegal immigrants, including Commissioner Mike Opat who said “that’s not where [he] would start with immigration efforts.”
As a result of its passage, the Board will partner with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and two other legal organizations who will help find illegal immigrants attorneys.
“Studies have shown that immigrants with legal representation are up to 10 times more likely to succeed in establishing a right to stay in the U.S.,” Peggy Russell, a managing attorney with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, commented.
In a close vote of 4-3, Commissioners Peter McLaughlin and Debbie Goettel both voted in favor of the motion, which will include $25,000 in spending to place literature in county jails for illegal immigrants.
“We can’t call the federal government today for help on immigration issues. We are stepping in, as a local government, to provide assistance so that due process is protected,’ McLaughlin said.
One Minnesota-based think tank, the Center of the American Experiment, was highly critical of the proposal.
“With little consideration to the taxpayer, those members of the board who voted for this fund apparently didn’t take any personal responsibility in advocating for it, as donations could very well have covered the $275,000 that they’ve asked for,” the Center wrote in a recent article. “For them, passing the buck to the taxpayer was easier than taking responsibility for this cause themselves.”
