Day: April 6, 2010

Haitians entering US through Canada-Vermont border

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

No one knows for sure why the Haitians who had been living in Canada after fleeing there some time ago to avoid deportation from the US are now re-entering the US.  115 have been caught so far.  I’m guessing there is some misunderstanting about the Temporary Protected Status (hinted in this article) that Obama gave Haitians already in the US illegally when the Earthquake occurred in January. 

From the Burlington Free Press:

Over the past two and a half months — ever since Haiti was devastated by a monstrous earthquake Jan. 12 — a growing number of Haitian expatriates have been trying to come back into the United States after departing the country just years earlier to avoid deportation.

As of late last week, the number of Haitians caught since the earthquake allegedly trying to enter the country illegally had topped 115, said Mark Henry, operations officer for the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton sector.

Of the 115, one was caught in New York and 114 were apprehended in Vermont, Henry said. The Swanton sector covers the border from New Hampshire through Vermont to Ogdensburg, N.Y.

Tristram Coffin, the U.S. Attorney for Vermont, said he would not speculate on why Vermont’s border was such a preferred option for the Haitians.

Betsy Horsman, a deputy U.S. Attorney who works on immigration cases out of Plattsburgh, N.Y., said she suspects the Haitians think they have a better shot of entering Vermont’s border undetected than they would in upstate New York.

“We’re known over here as being very aggressive,” she said. “I don’t know why they would choose Vermont unless there are a couple of places in Vermont they know about.”

Do they think Temporary Protected Status will work for them?

They also are coming back here hoping that an 18-month ban of deportations to Haiti put in place by the Obama administration after the quake might give them time to establish themselves in America and strengthen their case for permission to reside in the country permanently.

“I suspect this has a lot to do with the Temporary Protected Status policy because of the earthquake,” Henry said.

Church World Service involved?

Way back in 2007 we reported that a subcontractor of federal refugee contractor, Church World Service, was arrested for human trafficking in Canada.  They were smuggling Haitians to Canada.   Hope they are not involved in helping them back across the border now.  Obviously someone suggested Vermont.

Detroit area immigrants hiding from the Census

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

But, but, but—you won’t get your federal goodies if you aren’t counted!  You won’t get your share of the wealth redistribution!  What will happen to all that money that goes to food stamp fraud?  Boo hoo!

From the Detroit Free Press:

If you’re a young, ethnic or lower-income individual, the U.S. census is looking for you.

Working around the clock, census workers are targeting traditionally hard-to-count populations in the colossal effort to count every person in the nation this month.

They are visiting local mosques, shelters, schools, fast-food restaurants, decaying neighborhoods and even combing bridges, abandoned buildings and open fields for homeless people to encourage everyone to fill out the census form by April 30.

“In this economy, it’s very important for everyone to participate, especially those who are disenfranchised,” said Kim Hunter, spokesman for the U.S. Census in southeast Michigan.

Metro Detroit stands to lose about $1,400 a year for every uncounted resident. The federal funds finance hospitals, education, shelters, road repairs, emergency response, job training, child care and other services.

[…..]

A lot is at stake — $400 billion a year. That’s the amount the federal government sends to local communities based on demographics and population.

The article tells us that the feds and other paid workers are fanning out in the Detroit area to count every last resident.

“Many of these folks are living day to day. They want to know what’s in it for them.”

Turns out, census officials said, a lot is in it for low-income people, which is a hard-to-count population — health clinics, public transportation, shelters, job training and education. [Food stamps!]

Food Stamp Fraud rampant in Detroit area

Coincidentally, just as I was seeing this census story, I came across this site which has a list of about 40 cases of recent food stamp fraud in Michigan, primarily in the Detroit area.

Somalis with terrorist links may be arriving from Mexico

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Sara Carter reports in the Washington Examiner:

Dallas: Darfur refugee murders another Darfur refugee

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Ho hum!  Looks like another Muslim honor killing.  The male half is dead but police caught the murderer before he could kill the female half of the supposed illicit relationship.

From the Dallas Morning News:

Ahmed Mohammed thought he’d found a safe home after leaving conflict-ravaged Darfur, but violence caught up to him as he slept in his far northeast Dallas apartment Monday morning.

Mohammed, 32, was fatally stabbed by another Darfur refugee who wrongly believed the victim had impregnated his sister-in-law, authorities said. The suspect, Abdelbakheit Khamis of Amarillo, was taken into custody on suspicion of murder and was being held in the Dallas County jail.

“It’s a pretty weird deal,” said Sgt. Ray Beaudreault, a Dallas homicide unit supervisor.* “He thought that the victim was having affairs with his brother’s wife. He was convinced that the victim was responsible for her pregnancy.”

Caught by police before he could reach the woman (who says the victim was innocent of impregnating her):

“I grabbed him and took the knife from him,” Adam [roommate of the victim] said.

Khamis fled in a white sport utility vehicle as Adam called police.

Shortly afterward, police stopped Khamis at Greenville Avenue and LBJ Freeway. Blood smeared his clothing.

“According to detectives, he was on his way to kill his sister-in-law when he was stopped by the officers,” Beaudreault said.

Notice the article tells us the murderer was working in meatpacking in Amarillo (a big refugee resettlement hot spot).

Then this.  One wonders how much these Muslims were persecuted in Darfur if they were traveling back and forth to Africa for a little bride shopping.

Last August, Mohammed went back to Africa to visit his parents, four sisters and two brothers. He was eager to marry and start a family in America. “He kept telling me, ‘I have to go back and marry and bring my wife,’ ” Khalil said.

*By the way, Dallas police shouldn’t be surprised by the nature of the crime since a notorious honor killing happened in Texas two years ago, here.

New Mexico students fill in for resettlement agencies

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

College students in New Mexico can sign up for a class to help refugees get settled in the US and receive college credit for their work.  From the Daily Lobo:

Students are helping refugees make the transition to life in America.
The Refugee Well-being Project, a class offered through the psychology and anthropology departments, gives students the opportunity to work with refugees who are resettling in New Mexico.

 
Program Director Jessica Goodkind said that although some of the stresses refugees endure come from past traumas, others stem from tasks refugees have to face in the United States.

“A lot of the stress is due to how difficult it is to start life in a new place,” Goodkind said. “You don’t know anyone. You don’t have access to the resources that you need.”

The two-semester-long program trains students how to act as advocates for the refugees they are partnered with, said course instructor Brian Isakson.

[….]

Catholic Charities resettles refugee families in New Mexico and offers them a chance to participate in the UNM program.

‘I’m guessing this particular Catholic Charities isn’t a firm believer in the “tough love,” throw them out of the nest, approach we heard about in Fredericksburg, VA recently here.