Minnesota

Asylum saves lives. It is under attack. – Minnesota Reformer

Published

1 year ago

December 15, 2023

Asylum saves lives. It is under attack. – Minnesota Reformer

In today’s congressional battle over asylum, the real people seeking protection get lost. In Minnesota, one of those real people is Dr. Edwige Mubonzi.

Death threats drove Mubonzi from her home and work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rape was used as a weapon of war, and civil war over valuable minerals raged through the country. Her medical work in repairing the physical damage of rape victims made her a target. So did her advocacy for rape victims. Mubonzi didn’t want to leave her country, but the death threats left her no choice. She came to the United States — to Minnesota — and was granted asylum in 2015.

Today, U.S. asylum laws are being targeted in congressional negotiations over a supplemental funding bill. Attacks on asylum and humanitarian parole are falsely proposed as “border security” measures. Gutting asylum protection adds nothing to border security and, instead, will increase border chaos.

Instead of putting impossible conditions on asylum, Congress should provide adequate funding to improve asylum processing.

As U.S. law contemplates, asylum seekers should be able to make their applications and have those applications considered by an asylum officer or judge in a timely manner. They should not have to use an often unreliable cell phone app to get an appointment to ask for permission to make an application. They should not be forced to wait for months in unsafe camps in Mexico, in danger of extortion, robbery and rape.

Adequate funding would allow an orderly asylum process at the border, as well as reducing the current years-long backlogs for decisions on asylum applications.

Doing so would help Minnesota continue its long and honorable history welcoming people fleeing persecution and war. Mubonzi chose to come to Minnesota because of the many human rights organizations here. In the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Minnesota welcomed 1,525 refugees from more than 30 countries. On a per capita basis, Minnesota leads the nation in welcoming refugees.

Like Mubonzi, people fleeing danger in their home countries do not all come with official refugee status. Asylum seekers, like refugees, must show that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

Unlike refugees, who apply from outside the United States, asylum seekers must make their applications from inside the United States or at the border as they enter.

Humanitarian parole offers another way in. Many Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country were admitted with humanitarian parole. Afghans airlifted here when the Taliban took over also received humanitarian parole.

Whatever their status, these new Minnesotans have at least two things in common: They are fleeing intolerable situations in their home countries — and they have a great capacity to contribute to their new communities. As doctors, home health care aides, teachers, and much more, they contribute to building Minnesota for all of us.

Minnesota’s decades of welcoming refugees informs our defense of asylum and humanitarian parole. Blocking vulnerable immigrants from seeking access to safety endangers their lives and the lives of their families. That is just as true of asylum seekers and humanitarian parolees as it is of refugees. The lives of vulnerable and persecuted people must not be reduced to bargaining chips in partisan deal-making.

The current attack on asylum is sadly not a new proposal. Every time that “must pass” legislation comes up, some in Congress try to use it as a bargaining chip to gut asylum protections. They tried with the last budget negotiation to keep the government open, they are trying now with the supplemental funding package, and they will try again in next year’s budget battles.

People seeking safe haven for themselves and their children should not be pawns in anyone’s political games.

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Minnesota

After stunner at Minnesota, Michigan has 4 losses by a combined 8 points

Published

6 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

After stunner at Minnesota, Michigan has 4 losses by a combined 8 points

Michigan was denied a second overtime in Minneapolis when Dawson Garcia sunk a buzzer-beating shot from just inside half court. The Wolverines had their chances to make sure a shot like that didn’t matter.

But some recurring issues (plus a new one) doomed Michigan in Thursday night’s 84-81 loss to last-place Minnesota.

“We had said it coming in: ‘You can’t overlook anybody in this league,’” Michigan forward Will Tschetter said on the postgame radio show. “We obviously overlooked them tonight.”

‘Uncharacteristic’ offensive performance

The Wolverines entered the game leading the country in 2-point shooting at 63 percent. They shot just 17 of 40 (43 percent) inside the arc against Minnesota, with the figure even worse when considering only shots labeled in the box score as dunks or layups.

“Credit Minnesota; I thought they played with physicality,” Michigan coach Dusty May said on the radio. “I thought they put bodies on us. They collapsed on a lot of those drives. One of the reasons we’ve played so well at the rim is because when (teams) do collapse we’ve made the next pass and the next play, and tonight we challenged multiple bodies at the rim several times. That was just uncharacteristic of us.”

Several Wolverines missed shots at the basket they usually make. Starting center Vladislav Goldin entered the game with the top field-goal percentage among Big Ten players (63 percent). He made just 5 of 15 shots.

“Vlad’s played in a lot of basketball games and I’m just gonna chalk this up to (it) just wasn’t his night,” May said. “I thought he had several good looks that just didn’t drop. And on the nights when the ball is just not dropping, you can’t give up the offensive rebounds and you can’t turn it over. You just can’t do all those in the same game.”

Another close loss

Thursday’s three-point defeat was Michigan’s most lopsided loss of the season. Michigan’s four losses have come by a combined eight points.

Mistakes are magnified in games like that. Turnovers have been a problem for Michigan most of the season. Michigan’s total on Thursday (13) wasn’t egregious, but a sloppy start “set the tone” for the game, May said.

Midway through overtime, after Danny Wolf had set up Goldin for dunks on two straight possessions, something went awry on Tre Donaldson’s pass to Nimari Burnett, and the ball ricocheted out of bounds.

Michigan’s rebounding was also fine overall but not good enough in May’s eyes. The Golden Gophers grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, including one they had no business getting that led to a 3 to open the overtime scoring.

“Our defense, our ability to rebound the basketball when it really mattered was I think ultimately the difference,” May said.

Though more of a gut punch in the moment, close losses are a better sign for a team than blowout losses. And it’s not like the Wolverines haven’t been able to win any close games. They beat Wisconsin and Iowa by two points each, and trailed USC and UCLA in the second half before pulling away.

The bigger issue is that the Wolverines have blown double-digit leads in all four losses. They were up 10 with 12:50 to go on Thursday. They led Oklahoma by 11 in the second half, and held 13- and 15-point first-half leads over Wake Forest and Arkansas, respectively.

Michigan’s inability to put away Thursday’s game was especially surprising since Minnesota was 0-6 in the Big Ten.

Impressive homecoming

Though he didn’t sound thrilled to talk about it, Tschetter played well for Michigan in a homecoming game. The redshirt junior scored 15 points in 23 minutes off the bench. He made three 3-pointers and had 11 points in the first half.

“He’s consistent with his effort and energy,” May said. “(He) made some big shots. I thought he was poised around the rim. I thought he was a real bright spot.”

Tschetter is from Stewartville, a small town about 100 miles south of Minneapolis. The TV broadcast noted he had about 100 family members and friends inside Williams Arena on Thursday.

“Obviously it’s great to be able to come home and play in front of people that have grown up watching me,” Tschetter said. “But obviously ridiculously disappointed with a few things I did myself, the team, and just the overall game.

“We’ve just got to get back to the fundamentals of who we are, how we’ve won games in the past. Got to get back to being unselfish, rebounding the freakin’ basketball and just things like that.”

Michigan (13-4, 5-1) hosts Northwestern (11-6, 2-4) on Sunday. The Wildcats won on Thursday (at Maryland) on an overtime buzzer-beater.

BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.

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Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stocks Hiniker Pond

Published

14 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stocks Hiniker Pond

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) – This is year two of the Minnesota DNR stocking Hiniker Pond with rainbow trout.

Minnesota’s lake trout opener for lakes outside of the boundary waters is Saturday, Jan. 18. Jackson Jirik and Tony Peregrin talk to Waterville Fisheries Supervisor Craig Soupir.

Click here to download the KEYC News Now app or our KEYC First Alert weather app.

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Minnesota

Major League Volleyball is coming to Minnesota next year

Published

22 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Major League Volleyball is coming to Minnesota next year

According to the MLV’s press release, franchises will be “independently owned and operated” in ten states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Kansas, Ohio and Washington.

There was no indication yet of who Minnesota’s owners may be or where games will be played.

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