Vance touts deportation plan in Wisconsin city where tensions flared over refugee resettlement

Associated Press

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — Tensions flared last fall in western Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley with news that several dozen refugees would be resettled in and around the city of Eau Claire, one of several midsize cities across the U.S. that has grappled with refugee resettlement. The city served as a backdrop to a campaign rally Tuesday with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, who has focused on immigration and anti-immigrant rhetoric as he and former President Donald Trump campaign for the White House. City Manager Stephanie Hirsch, who grew up in Eau Claire, says the city should welcome all newcomers, including refugees. But opponents say the city should have other priorities.