On Wednesday, April 14, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a Republican, tweeted her state "won't be taking any illegal immigrants that the Biden Administration wants to relocate."
Noem was apparently unaware seeking asylum is a legal act according to federal law. Asylum seekers in federal custody are not "illegal immigrants."
Noem was telling unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S. border to "call me when you're an American."
Noem—the descendant of Norwegian immigrants—posted her message on Twitter.
The intentionally dismissive message aimed at the influx of children arriving at the U.S. border was called out as cruel by many on Twitter.
Many cited Noem's own immigrant heritage and hostile relationship with the Indigenous tribal nations in South Dakota.
Noem's tweet should also put her on the wrong side of Christianity's Biblical New Testament directives.
Noem joins other Republican governors like
Henry McMaster of South Carolina and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska who have been attempting to prove their conservative bonafides by proudly refusing to take in child immigrants.
Many online pointed out immigrants may be hesitant to visit South Dakota anyway, considering its failure to contain the virus in a timely nature.
Some of Twitter's naturalized United States citizens politely declined Noem's offer of a call.
Although the influx of unaccompanied minors at the border is a complex issue without any clear solutions, governors who represent Americans should not be proud of their cruelty when using children as political clout.
