The American Immigration Council does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide an analysis of the election’s impact on the U.S. immigration system.
While immigration remains a top national issue, Minnesota has long taken an active role in integrating and supporting immigrants across the state. Governor Tim Walz’s record demonstrates a commitment to innovative and comprehensive immigration policy at the state level.
immigration in minnesota
Minnesota has a long history of hosting people fleeing violence and persecution abroad, from Hmong refugees in the 1970s and Somali refugees in the 1990s to Afghans seeking safety after the fall of Kabul two years ago. be. In 2022, immigrants made up 8.4% of the state’s population, contributed $2 billion in state and local taxes, and accounted for 10.6% of the state’s workforce.
Governor Walz’s record on immigrant integration
Since taking office in 2019, Walz has maintained Minnesota’s tradition of welcoming newcomers. In 2020, he declared October 26th as Immigrant Integration Day. It’s a symbolic gesture that shows his commitment to making Minnesota more welcoming to immigrants.
In 2023, Walz signed legislation to invest in a range of new initiatives to address labor shortages, revitalize the state’s economy, and address workforce disparities faced by immigrants and other marginalized communities. .
The Community Wealth Building Grant Program provides low-interest loans to community businesses that are predominantly owned by immigrants and other underrepresented groups as an economic growth strategy. The Drive for Five initiative provides high-growth job opportunities across five high-demand sectors: technology, trades, care professions, manufacturing, and education. The program prioritizes assistance to individuals who face systemic barriers to employment and provides grants for workforce training, job placement assistance, and employer engagement. Targeted Population Workforce Programs was awarded $50 million to provide skills training and support services to workers from historically overlooked populations in an effort to build a more inclusive economy.
To address the needs of the state’s limited English-speaking residents, who averaged 4.5% of the population from 2017 to 2021, Minnesota’s governor has announced plans to improve all areas of state government, from polling places to public schools. promoted language access initiatives.
In 2023, Walz signed the National Democratic Act into law. This expands the requirements for interpretation and translation of voting materials, which is important to ensure that the limited number of residents who are fluent in English can exercise their right to vote. In 2019, he issued Executive Order 19-01, establishing the One Minnesota Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to implement statewide initiatives to address inequalities faced by Minnesotans. decided to do so. In response, the Minnesota Department of IT Services and Public Safety Division of Vehicle Services developed a multilingual virtual assistant tool that guides drivers and vehicles through the process in four languages. The tool gained national recognition and became the first driving-related virtual assistant in the U.S. to be translated into Hmong and Somali. The Task Force on English Learner Programs, which Walz created in 2024, will explore ways to better utilize funding for English learner programs in public schools.
Governor Walz also introduced legislation in 2023 that would permanently establish the Office of New Americans (ONA) under the Department of Employment and Economic Development to lead the state’s efforts on immigrant integration and create welcoming communities. Signed. ONA works to ensure equitable access to state services, reduce barriers to employment, and establish language access initiatives for immigrants. Minnesota and 20 other states currently have ONAs, or senior policy officials, who specialize in immigration issues. These 21 states are part of the bipartisan New Americans States Network Secretariat. The network is a forum for state agencies and policymakers focused on immigration to come together and engage in mutual learning. This network is jointly hosted by the U.S. Immigration Council and World Education Services.
Governor Walz’s support for illegal aliens
Undocumented Minnesotans, most of whom have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade and contributed more than $103 million in state and local taxes in 2022, are often ineligible for government services. As governor, Walz has supported policies that ensure new Americans are not excluded from key state programs, regardless of their immigration status.
In 2023, Walz signs the Driver’s Licenses for All Act, joining 18 states and providing state ID and driver’s licenses to all residents, providing access to 81,000 undocumented immigrants. gave a benefit. His North Star Promise, enacted in 2023, made free college tuition available to all financially eligible students attending in-state schools, regardless of immigration status. This is based on the Minnesota Dream Act, passed in 2013 under Governor Mark Dayton, which provided in-state tuition and state aid to undocumented students who meet certain requirements. This year, Walz signed a bill that expands access to the state’s health insurance program, MinnesotaCare, to all undocumented immigrants using state funds. When the law goes into effect in 2025, Minnesota will be one of only five states to provide state health care access to all eligible undocumented immigrants, in addition to eight states that provide access to specific populations of illegal aliens, such as children. Becomes one of the states. Governor Walz’s records
Mr. Walz has been in step with, and sometimes in the lead, among states on immigration policy.
Advocating for continued refugee resettlement in 2019, Walz once wrote, “Minnesota’s inns are not full.” Over his two terms, Governor Walz’s policies helped make accommodation more attractive to immigrants who called Minnesota home.
Field: Kamala Harris
