The general counsel at a Minnesota-based think tank has been suspended for comments she made about Somali Americans published in a New York Times story.

“Very visible”

The story with the comments from Kim Crockett, vice president and general counsel of the conservative Center of the American Experiment, was published Thursday and examined the resistance to refugee resettlement in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Ms Crockett has been placed on an unpaid 30-day disciplinary suspension and the center said in a statement that her comments do not reflect its “views and values.” Ms Crockett told the New York Times reporter that she plans to challenge the resettlement program in court. She was quoted as saying “I think of America, the great assimilator, as a rubber band, but with this - we're at the breaking point. These aren't people coming from Norway, let's put it that way. These people are very visible.”

Apology

Ms Crockett has since apologized for the comments. In a written statement disseminated by her employer, she said “I want to apologize to the many Minnesotans, particularly in the Somali community, who were understandably upset by my comments in the New York Times. To be clear, my remarks do not reflect the values or views of Center of the American Experiment, or my own. I regret the embarrassment to my colleagues who work so diligently to make our state a better place to live and work for all Minnesotans. …”