Tag: State of Indiana (USA)

Other States Join Iowa in Encouraging Immigration To Combat Aging, Declining Populations 

A prior post discussed the various ways the Iowa State Government was encouraging the resettlement of refugees and other immigrants in their state to combat its shortage of workers.[1]

Now the Republican governors of Indiana (Eric Holcomb)and Utah (Spencer Cox) have jointly voiced the same desire. They start their appeal as follows: “Indiana has about 220,000 open jobs right now and Utah has 107,000, according to the most recent federal data — more than 6 percent of all jobs in both states. With strong business and tax environments, we like our chances in the competition for job-seekers moving from other states. But they won’t be enough to fill all of those vacancies. We also need immigrants who are ready to work and help build strong communities.” (Emphasis added.)[2]

To meet that need these two governors call on Congress to enable states “to sponsor whatever immigrants serve the needs of their communities. . . . Rapidly declining birthrates and accelerating retirements across the United States mean that our states’ already wide job gaps will grow to crisis proportions without more [immigrants].”

Therefore, these two governors suggest that states be empowered to sponsor immigrants for resettlement “from a pool of new applicants from abroad and from the ranks of current asylum seekers [for refugee status].” They also recognize that there must be “rules to determine who can come in and how, and who can stay; unflinching enforcement of such rules; and some kind of review-and-repeat process to assure that the United States offers paths to citizenship based on our evolving needs. The rules must include a practical approach to illegal immigrants who came to this country as children. And enforcement must include firm control of all entry points.”

Conclusion

Governors Holcomb and Cox added that they believe other states will join this effort from comments they heard at last week’s National Governors Association meeting.

This is good news!

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[1] Iowa State Government Encouraging Refugee and Migrant Resettlement, dwkcommentaries.com (Feb. 3, 2023).

[2] Holcomb & Cox, To solve out national immigration crisis, let states sponsor immigrants, Wash. Post (Feb. 21, 2023).

U.S. Citizen Killed in Cameroon 

On October  30, Charles Trumann Wesco, a U.S. missionary from Indiana, was shot and killed in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It happened as he and his wife Stephanie were in a car being driven by another missionary near the city of Bamenda. Wesco was in the front seat, and two shots hit the windshield and struck him in the head. No one else was hurt.[1]

The Region’s Governor, Deben Tchoffo, said armed groups staged attacks to stop the reopening of the University of Bamenda and the military fought back. He said Mr. Wesco might have been caught in the crossfire.

The military has killed at least four suspects in Wesco’s death and arrested many others, according to military spokesman Col. Didier Badjeck.

On October 31, Cameroon’s defense minister called on all foreign nationals in the country’s restive regions to be cautious. “If you must be there, immediately inform the military so we can assure your safety.” He added that Cameroon’s English-speaking northwest and southwest regions, where separatists are fighting for an independent state, are dangerous for foreigners.

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[1]  Assoc. Press, American Missionary Killed in Cameroon Amid Armed Conflict, N.Y. Times (Oct. 30, 2018); Assoc. Press, Cameroon Defense Minister Warns Foreigners Against Travel, N.Y. Times (Oct. 31, 2018).