Your tax dollars:
My only point in bringing this to your attention is to tell readers who are new to refugee resettlement that the US is no longer resettling refugees in the traditional gateway cities most people think of when they think of immigrants, but in cities where you live; and, to alert you to the cost to the community of such large numbers of immigrants.
Here is an article about Fargo, ND where the expected arrival of new refugees is prompting discussion of the need for more English Language teachers. I couldn’t believe how many refugee students this school district must find funds for:
Fargo started keeping track of ELL students in 1984, when there were 73. That grew to 362 by 1996. The district now has nearly 1,000 ELL students – a majority of whom are refugees, Sanders said.
Fargo’s ELL students represent 113 languages and 10 percent of the district’s enrollment, she added.
To support the increase, Fargo hired five new ELL teachers last year – the biggest-ever increase in ELL faculty numbers, Sanders said. The district now has 26 ELL teachers, paraprofessionals and social workers.
If your city or town is getting ready to welcome refugees, maybe it would be wise to contact these counties in North Dakota and see how they are managing.
By the way, the National Governor’s Association has raised the alarm about these unfunded mandates that the federal government is placing on local governments to care for refugees. I wrote about it here last spring and when I went back to look at that article I had also written that North Dakota was actively looking for more refugees. Go figure!