Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Contact: Michael Ewald, Communications Director, (605) 271-5405, press@sddp.org
South Dakota Democratic Party condemns Jensen’s bigoted remarks
Sioux Falls, SD (February 17, 2016)-
The South Dakota Democratic Party condemned recent comments made by Republican Sen. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City regarding the racial and physical make-up of refugees.
Jensen, who plans to bring back a refugee resettlement bill withdrawn by its prime sponsor due to its unconstitutional nature is reported by the Rapid City Journal of relating a story of speaking to a constituent who reportedly witnessed “dozens of South Americans” fleeing a bus before saying:
“He knew they were South Americans,” Jensen said, “because they had different skull structures and skin tones from Mexicans.”
“Analyzing skull structure is something out of the 19th century. These comments are reprehensible. The rest of the GOP needs to condemn these types of remarks immediately or they consent to them,” said South Dakota Communications Director Michael Ewald.
“Additionally, it’s unclear why Jensen would focus on South Americans when his major charge against refugee resettlement is the risk of Islamic terrorism. I think that shows what his motivations really are,” said Ewald.
According to the Rapid City Journal, “Before they can enter the U.S., refugees are vetted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, and the Departments of State, Defense, and Homeland Security. The process can last as long as two years. In South Dakota, Lutheran Social Services for five years maintains a consistent presence in the lives of the refugees it resettles, picking them up from the airport and helping them find housing and jobs in their new communities.”