Can a private company create more government?
That’s the curious case of the recently-created state Office of New Americans (ONA). The private company in this instance is the Palo Alto, CA-based Emerson Collective LLC. The Collective was founded, and is funded, by Laurene Jobs, the widow of Apple Computer’s Steve Jobs.
This saga began a few years back, when Emerson provided a grant to create a new, unauthorized Assistant Commissioner position within the state’s Dept. of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The position covers immigrant and refugee affairs (IRA). The office holder is a sub-cabinet public official, appointed by the governor, but not subject to state senate confirmation.
The euphemism “New Americans” does not describe any actual Americans. These are refugees and (mostly illegal) immigrants who came here during the years of the Joe Biden open border.
ONA’s “Welcome Guide for Newcomers” is available in five languages (including French!). “Legal Services” is one of the three major topics covered.
During a rare and brief interval of total Democratic control in 2023, the Office of New Americans was codified into state statute and is now funded by state taxpayers. After the 2024 election, Minnesota has reverted to its more natural state of divided government, with a tied House of Representatives now under the leadership of an elected Republican speaker.
The new ONA law reads:
The purpose of the office is to foster immigrant and refugee inclusion through an intentional process to improve economic mobility, enhance civic participation, and improve receiving communities’ openness to immigrants and refugees by incorporating the needs and aspirations of immigrants and refugees, their families, and their communities for the benefit of all by fulfilling the duties outlined in subdivision 2.
The key words above are “intentional” and “civic participation.” Subdivision 4 of the statute gives the ONA, housed within DEED, the assignment of coordinating immigrant policy across fourteen (14) agencies within the executive branch.
It is highly unlikely that a majority of Minnesotans are aware of the existence of an Office of New Americans. It’s also unlikely that a majority of Minnesota voters would support its efforts, given our state polling results on similar topics.
Last week, state Rep. Isaac Schultz (R-10B, Elmdale) introduced HF 2058.
His bill consists of just a single line of text (Line 1.6), repealing the ONA statute.
Rep. Schultz faces an uphill battle. For his bill to become law, he will need to gain the support of a least three Democrats (one House member, one Senator, and the Governor). Working against him is the idea that the ultimate purpose of the ONA is the eventual creation of new Democratic voters engaging in enhanced civic participation.
Furthermore, funding for the ONA is now baked into the state’s “base budget.”
We are now living the Milton Friedman adage, “Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.”