Lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that would dismantle the refugee resettlement program administered through the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, also known as DHHS. This is one of several Republican-backed proposals this session that follow President Trump’s “America-first” agenda, aiming to limit support and access to immigrants and refugees.
In the last 15 years, more than 5,000 refugees have been resettled in New Hampshire, according to data from DHHS.
The refugee resettlement program is fully funded with federal money, and HB1706 would keep the state’s health and human services department from disbursing that money to different resettlement organizations.
Federal funds are currently on pause, as are new refugee admissions to the country. But Republican Rep. Travis Corcoran, the bill’s sponsor, said he does not want New Hampshire administering the program in future administrations.
“The government of the state of New Hampshire does not exist for the benefit of Somalis or Haitians or Bhutanese. It exists for the benefit of citizens of New Hampshire,” he said in the bill’s public hearing in February. “The relevant question is, does the refugee program benefit New Hampshire citizens? My answer is no, and more specifically, that the program is actively very bad for the citizens of New Hampshire.”
If the bill is signed into law, it would not end federal refugee resettlement. Instead, the work would fall to the nonprofits that already resettle people, according to DHHS officials. Director of Legislative Affairs John Williams said that it would also have a significant fiscal impact beyond the funds.
“The economic impact isn't just a loss in the $4.4 million in lost revenues and reductions in state expenditures, but rather it would be a loss to the community, to local and municipal governments of over $1 million per state fiscal year,” he said.
Immigration advocacy organizations have also pushed back on the proposal, as has the public, with significant opposition online.
“The harm this bill will cause, if signed into law, is immense. Refugees are resilient, hard-working members of our community, who strengthen our culture and economy,” said Bill Gillett, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the International Institute of New England. “To reverse our promise of support, and to keep refugees from coming to New Hampshire in the future, will hurt us all.”
Gillett said he hopes that as the Senate takes up the bill, senators “will vote with an understanding of what’s truly at stake: not only our humanitarian legacy but also the prosperity of the Granite State.”
Limiting access to rental units for undocumented immigrants
Two other bills passed in the House this week would make it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to rent apartments or homes.
One proposal would make occupying or renting a home a class A misdemeanor for immigrants who are unlawfully present or have a felony conviction. That could result in a year of jail and a $2,000 fine, if convicted. The bill also authorizes sheriffs to arrest these immigrants if they’re evicted.
Republican Rep. Joe Alexander from Goffstown sponsored the bill. He chairs the Housing Committee and said that this proposal could be another solution to the state’s housing shortage.
“We are 90,000 units short before 2040. And I think part of the reason why is because we have people that are here illegally living in apartments, taking up units of New Hampshire citizens,” he said during a committee meeting. “Illegal aliens are not welcome in the Granite State. And by passing this bill, we will continue to make sure that there's nowhere they can live.”
A related bill from Alexander expands on current eviction law and would allow a landlord to end a lease if their tenant was convicted of certain crimes, including using a fake ID to rent, sexual assault or domestic violence. It also includes a list of immigration-related crimes, like improper entry, harboring or human trafficking.
