Based on data from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the Washington Post article says Worthington has one of the highest rates of unaccompanied minors per capita in the U.S. The influx of immigrants from Mexico and Central America over the last two decades has led to positive economic growth unmatched by many cities in Greater Minnesota, but backlash remains. The city was almost entirely white in the 1960s, but is now about two-thirds Latino.
The article features residents like a school bus driver who is bitter at how the city has changed, as well a priest said he was booed from the pews for voicing support for immigrants. It also follows the experience of two immigrant teens in school.
"If we didn't have the immigrants here, Worthington would be another city that is struggling to maintain," Worthington City Administrator Steve Robinson told WCCO Radio by phone Monday.
Robinson says around four dozen local businesses are minority-owned including along the downtown Main Street, which is mostly filled with shops and restaurants. The city is growing so much, district officials have had to scramble to find space, using old storage areas for classrooms. Four referendums to expand have been defeated. The latest failed by a small margin in February and Robinson thinks it could pass again soon.
Robinson, who was not quoted in the original article, admits it does not put the city in the best light, and he doesn't dispute that some residents hold those sentiments. But he's quick to say that not everyone holds those views, and the city is making efforts to engage with the entire community. He hopes one day the local elected government reflects the city's population because immigrants feel a connection to the city and want to invest in making it better.
"We're overwhelmingly welcoming to all of our residents and support people that are coming here for a better life," he said.