Opinion | Minnesota can lead again on refugees, just as Mondale did

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On July 21, 1979, Vice President Walter Mondale stood before the United Nations and issued a challenge to the world. As families fled violence in Vietnam and Cambodia, he urged nations to act: “Let us do something meaningful — something profound — to stem this misery. We face a world problem. Let us fashion a world solution.”

His speech was met with a standing ovation in Geneva and helped spur a global response for refugees, leading directly to the bipartisan Refugee Act of 1980, which offered hope, structure and refuge in the U.S. for people fleeing extreme harm.

Mondale carried with him Minnesota’s deep-rooted values of fairness, dignity and practical compassion. Now, more than four decades later, as the world faces its largest displacement crisis since World War II — with more than 123 million people forced to flee their homes — Minnesota should take note of Mondale’s example.

In my work supporting refugees and asylum-seekers, many of whom are torture survivors rebuilding their lives here in Minnesota, I hear a lot of opinions about immigration. One refrain comes up over and over: “I’m not against immigration, I just think people should come legally.”

It sounds reasonable. But it’s based on a common misunderstanding.

The idea that there’s a clear path for today’s refugees to come here and rebuild their lives in safety — the very system Mondale helped establish — is no longer a reality. What people might be thinking of when they think of “legal immigration” is from long-past U.S. history, when white Europeans sailed on boats to Ellis Island, signed a paper, demonstrated they were of “good moral character” and applied for citizenship. That process no longer exists. The few legal pathways that we did have, like access to asylum and the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, have been decimated in recent months by the Trump administration. Just this past January, the refugee program was shuttered, leaving 12,000 people — already vetted and approved to come to the U.S. with travel booked, waiting in refugee camps — with no way forward.

At the same time, the U.S. has now cut off lifesaving aid to vulnerable populations overseas, shut down access to asylum at the border, and begun removing people in our communities who are part of our social fabric. My own organization, the Center for Victims of Torture, was forced to close 75% of our overseas healing centers due to aid cuts. The devastation these policies have wrought will be felt for generations to come.

None of this is a matter of managing immigration. What we are seeing is the total dismantling of access to refuge entirely and an abandonment of our core values as Minnesotans.

There is an overriding sense that in order to put America first, we must put everyone else last. In Minnesota, we know that’s not true. Our state has a proud history of welcome. Since 1975, we’ve opened our doors to Vietnamese, Hmong, Somali, Karen and, more recently, Afghan, Ukrainian and Congolese families. They’ve become our neighbors, coworkers, classmates and friends, enriching our communities and economy in profound ways that make Minnesota an incredible place to live. But today, that legacy is under threat from federal policies that close doors.

That’s why, as we recall Mondale’s unforgettable speech, we must act.

We must demand our government restore the refugee resettlement and asylum systems. And we must support local organizations that provide legal aid, housing, trauma counseling and resettlement services to our new neighbors. Most of all, we must be intentional in creating welcoming communities — at the grocery store, in our schools and at our places of worship.

As a start, I encourage my Minnesotan neighbors and friends to revisit Mondale’s inspiring words and check out the #WeWillWelcome pledge, which is a national call to action to commit to a small act of welcome in your community.

At a time when the federal government is turning its back on displaced people, it’s up to us as individuals to step forward. With small acts of kindness, with empathy and with the courage that Walter Mondale exemplified.

He warned the world in 1979: “History will not forgive us if we fail. History will not forget us if we succeed.”

This is a time when we can make a difference again.

Alison Beckman is the senior clinician for external relations at the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) and Minnesota state lead with the Refugee Advocacy Lab, working with refugees and asylum-seekers in Minnesota.