Michigan seeks volunteers to sponsor more refugees, prompting concerns from some groups
A refugee sponsorship program that recently came under the scrutiny of conservative groups has been in place in Michigan for at least a year, but appears to be growing as the number of refugees seeking entry into Michigan expands.
The state's Office of Global Michigan in a press release Feb. 12 asked for volunteers to sponsor refugees — including efforts to find housing for them — for a period of at least 90 days. The office made the request on behalf of the federal refugee sponsorship program Welcome Corps, but also included information on other federal resettlement programs such as CHNV (Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans) and Uniting for Ukraine.
Usually refugees are assisted through one of six designated resettlement agencies in Michigan, but Welcome Corps allows for private groups of five or more individuals to act as sponsors as well. The federal program, which began Jan. 1, 2023, recently expanded its options to allow those private groups to designate specific refugees they'd like to sponsor.
The state first promoted Welcome Corps' private sponsorship program in April 2023, but its press release Feb. 12 announcing the expansion and promoting, again, the opportunities for private sponsorships set off a ripple of concern among conservative officials and groups such as the Michigan Freedom Fund.
Mary Drabik, a spokeswoman for the West Michigan political organization backed by Republican megadonor Betsy DeVos, called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to "set the example for others and host illegal immigrants in both governor's mansions." Drabik later sent an updated statement to The Detroit News saying the state's call for volunteers to house refugees was too broadly worded and left room for concern.
"LEO and Gov. Whitmer’s lack of clarity leaves the door open for illegal immigrants at the border to settle in Michigan, similar to what we’ve seen in New York City," Drabik said in a statement Friday. "People have a right to be concerned when the governor has a habit of borrowing the worst policies from the state of New York (see the disastrous COVID policies, which trapped nursing home residents in facilities with COVID patients isolated and alone)."
In response to a question about the program Wednesday, Whitmer said the number of migrants seeking refuge in Michigan has increased, but said she'd need to get more information before saying what prompted the request for more volunteers.
In December, state officials projected a 40% increase in refugees coming to Michigan in 2024 — as many as 1,100 more people than last year — and that number doesn't include those who will come to Michigan non-traditionally after seeking political asylum at a United States port or border.
State officials stressed that those using the Welcome Corps program are not considered undocumented immigrants.
The program is limited to refugees who are still overseas and awaiting placement after vetting by the federal government and does not include "individuals arriving at the southern border," said Erica Quealy, a spokeswoman for the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, which houses the Office of Global Michigan.
"The opportunity to sponsor newcomers in our state is included in the federally regulated refugee resettlement system which strictly applies to people who have entered the country lawfully," Quealy said.
The state's chief equity and inclusion officer, Poppy Hernandez, promoted the Welcome Corps expansion in the Feb. 12 press release as a way to make the state "the home for opportunity for our immigrant, refugee and ethnic communities."
The Welcome Corps private sponsors groups would allow volunteers to identify a specific refugee or refugee family to be matched with on the chance that sponsors could accept refugees they might know. The sponsor is then required to provide support to the refugees for 90 days in the form of securing housing, enrolling the children in school or helping adults find employment.
The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity also acknowledged, like Whitmer, there is increased demand for refugee placement through the Welcome Corps and other programs.
Michigan took in 2,437 refugees in fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30, more than double the 1,126 refugees Michigan hosted in fiscal year 2022, according to data from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. In the first four months of the new fiscal year (Oct. 1 through Jan. 31), per the federal data, the state has received 1,234 refugees — more than half of what it took in over the 12 months of fiscal year 2023.
The countries sending the most refugees to Michigan last year were Syria (36%), Democratic Republic of Congo (30%), Iraq (7%) and Afghanistan (6%).
Those numbers include only those deemed by the federal government to be refugees and do not include asylum-seekers, individuals fleeing unstable situations in their native countries, but who have not achieved refugee status. The state has no ability to track those numbers, but Metro Detroit officials in December said the numbers are straining resources.
The pushback on the state's promotion of the private sponsorship program comes as Senate Republicans this week announced a slate of legislation to address "failed Biden border policies," including a ban on sanctuary cities and tougher penalties for fentanyl creation, manufacturing, possession or delivery. Senate Majority Leader Aric Nesbitt referenced the recent statement on the private sponsorship program in promoting the Strong Borders, Safe Communities plan.
"To combat the effects of Biden’s open border crisis, Senate Republicans want to eliminate sanctuary cities & crackdown on those who smuggle fentanyl into our communities," Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, said on social media. "@GovWhitmer’s proposal? Ask MI residents to house the wave of migrants illegally crossing our borders."
U.S. House hopeful Tom Barrett, a former Republican state senator, posted a video Wednesday from outside the Lansing building housing Whitmer's office and called on the governor to house the "illegal immigrants" she's asking Michigan families to take in her governor's residences in Lansing and Mackinac Island.
Barrett's campaign in an updated statement to The News Saturday alleged President Joe Biden's administration has allowed abuse of the asylum system so much so that some of those granted refugee status had entered the country illegally. The campaign reiterated its invite to have Whitmer house some of the refugees.
"If they are legally vetted, as the Biden Administration claims, and no risk to Michiganders as Whitmer claims, she should lead by example," the campaign said.
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