Bill Proposes Repeal of North Dakota Immigration Office Amid Workforce Crisis

Katie Ralston Howe, director of workforce development for the North Dakota Department of Commerce. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(Michael Standaert – North Dakota News Cooperative) – Rep. Nico Rios, R-Williston, says the concept is simple: Tax dollars should not be used to bring in foreign workers for work in North Dakota that could be done by American citizens.

He, and several other Republicans, want to remove the Office of Legal Immigration from the state’s Century Code under House Bill 1493. Lawmakers created the office in 2023.

There are enough people who are U.S. citizens and looking for work, Rios said. An example is his story of coming a decade ago from the Chicago area to work in the oil fields of the Bakken.

“I moved here to get a high-paying job where there was a demand for workers, and I didn’t get my hand held by the government,” Rios said. “I did it on my own.”

For many industries, however, attracting workers from across the country is a lot more complex than posting a help wanted ad.