Republicans hosting speaker who claims research on refugees

The Carlton County Republican Party invited a self-described refugee resettlement expert to conduct a meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, according to organizer Bill Dian of Wrenshall.

Dian said Ron Branstner, who has homes in Palm Springs, California and Eden Valley, Minnesota will conduct the meeting to inform Carlton County Republican members and the general public of his research on the refugee issue in America.

“I’ve been studying this issue for 15 years, and will present facts and data I’ve learned,” Branstner told the Pine Knot News. “I do this as a service, on a volunteer basis. The Republican Party invited me to speak and I’m coming,” he said.

The Carlton County Board has delayed any vote on the issue of refugee resettlement — which was required by President Trump of both counties and states in a September executive order — because the order was blocked by a federal judge in January.

Branstner said he is not paid for his presentations, but conducts them at the invitation of concerned citizens like Dian. According to a story in the Fergus Falls newspaper (search http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com) where Branster spoke in May 2019, he is a St. Cloud car salesman who came to Fergus Falls with a message of “fear and anger,” the paper reported.

He is often quoted in St. Cloud media for speaking out against the presence of Somali refugees there.

“Branstner will present facts. For example, crime and welfare are affected by refugees,” Dian said. “We can’t do anything about the crime our own citizens commit, but we can keep out people who might commit more crime,” Dian said.

Branstner has presented at FDLTCC before, specifically last fall, on First Amendment issues, which drew a crowd of about 25 people.

“With the refugee issue currently a hot topic, we are expecting even more,” he said.

The meeting was scheduled to take place after this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press.

Pine Knot News editor Jana Peterson contributed to this story.