Minnesotans beg GOP Rep Tom Emmer to stop mass Somali migration in resurfaced audio clip

WASHINGTON, DC: A resurfaced audio clip from 'This American Life' reveals that Minnesota voters begged House Majority Whip Tom Emmer more than a decade ago to stop mass Somali migration.

Minnesota’s Somali population is again making headlines after YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a video canvassing multiple Somali-run childcare centers accused of fraud.

Resurfaced clip reveals voters were concerned about mass Somali migration

In an episode from 'This American Life' that aired in October 2016, journalist Zoe Chace narrated portions of the story that included a reflection on a July 2015 town hall event at Aces Bar in downtown St Cloud.

Chace described the room as packed and said one constituent told Emmer that he believed most people in the bar "are here to find out how you feel about assimilation of immigrants," before playing a clip from the event. 

The man was heard saying, "We did not ask for those Somalis. Nobody asked us if we, in St Cloud, want those Somalis. And we understand that social groups, like the Lutheran social service and the Catholic charities, they’re dumping them in areas like St Cloud."

"OK, and so the question is, how many more are coming? We didn’t ask for these people. Everybody that you read about is talking about this. So that is a main issue in this city. There is no control. The people have no control over any immigration. The mayor doesn’t. I don’t know," the man added.

Further in the Town Hall, Emmer was heard pushing back on the man, as Chace described the lawmaker as firing "a warning shot at the implicit racism" directed at Somalis.

As Emmer argued that Somalis are "one of the fastest-assimilating populations," he prompted audible groans of disapproval. A man was heard saying, "Oh, you gotta be kidding me."

Chace noted that during the event, a Somali man was in the room with other constituents. He tried to speak for himself, telling the group that he felt assimilated. Chace was heard explaining his audio in the segment, saying the Somali man asked residents to meet him to address their "fears".

The audience pressed Tom Emmer to demand a vote on the refugees

During the event, the audience continued pressing Emmer to demand a vote on the refugees. A constituent, identified as Sue, pushed back as Emmer asked what she wanted him to do, and told the GOP rep there had been a "huge economic burden placed" on them at the time because of the influx.

She said, "I think I speak for a lot of people. I think the city of St. Cloud needs a breather. And we need to assimilate with the people that are...." before getting cut off by Emmer. 

The GOP representative asked her, "What does that mean? What does that mean?" Emmer asked Sue if she was suggesting that "no more immigrants should be allowed to come to St Cloud," to which she stated it would be a "moratorium for a short time".

People in the background were heard shouting that the pause should be for the "whole United States", before Emmer chimed in and said the request was simply not possible.

"All right, here’s the thing. All I can do is respond as open and honest as I can, Sue. That’s not something that I can do. That’s not something that our constitution says that we do with people who are....," Emmar said before Chace cuts to an audio clip of him directly talking to her.