Comment worth noting: Somalis take our jobs, who do we contact to stop this?

Readers, below is a comment I received from a black American living in St. Louis last night in response to yesterday’s post, here.  This is not the first time I’ve heard of this problem where refugees are competing for jobs (and housing) with other minorities.

Here is one post I wrote two years ago that mentions the role of the Congressional Black Caucus in helping to open up the African refugee program some years ago because (I presume) they were looking for more black Democratic voters.

From a reader:

This is such a scam, I respect you a lot for bringing this kind of thing to lite.

Most of all, as someone who has traditionally voted for black Democrats, and supported the black congressional caucus, I am pissed that they are the ones who push to have these Somalis brought here to America. We have this huge budget problem, and cuts in welfare, and we are PAYING to bring Somalis over to compete for the same jobs my brothers need!! And get infront of the line for affordable housing over brothers who have been waiting for years!! That is a crime, and it happens here in St.Louis. You can work your entire life, and get on hard times and try to get subsidized housing, and find it is already filled with “refugees,” I HAVE SEEN IT. I might have moved out of Wells-Goodfellow (North STL), but I don’t forget where I came from.

Black people, especially, we need to wake up to this scam. Our congressmen are organizing to KEEP US POOR with this kind of waste. EVEN IF IT WERE FUNDED 100%, and the federal government paid for extra housing and more budget for social welfare, they would STILL compete for the same jobs. And who do you think is going too get hired, a Somali willing to work for peanuts or a proud black American who knows his rights and wants a working wage?? (NOT A REAL QUESTION WE ALL KNOW THE ANSWER)

You should put up some contact info, in an obvious place, so we know how to contact to get this stuff fixed, NOW.

Who do you contact?

* The most important people for you to contact are your US Senators and your Member of Congress.  They are ultimately responsible for the funding of this program.  Unfortunately, they are such chickens—almost all of them!—on the issue of immigration.  They will just skirt this problem with the same old line:  “This is a legal immigration issue and I’m all for legal immigration.”  But they create the laws, they created this one in 1980 (Kennedy, Biden and Jimmy Carter), they can just as well reform it or repeal it.  Although surely Obama wouldn’t sign a repeal of the Refugee Resettlement Act (overloading the system is part of the plan).

* If I were you, I would also write to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and at least tell them what you think.

Here is an address, phone number and e-mail address for the CBC.

* You can also complain to the US State Department.  Write to:

Asst. Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, Anne Richard, US Dept. of State, 2201 C St. NW, Washington, DC 20520.

By the way, any letters you send to the State Department or anywhere else should be copied to your Member of Congress and your US Senators.

* In St. Louis, you might also let the Mayor know of your concerns.  Although they have no authority over the program, some Mayors have been very vocal in trying to stop the flow of refugees.

The most vocal at the present time is the Mayor of Manchester, NH who has been trying to get a temporary moratorium for his city.

* Most of the immigration control non-profit groups steer clear of the refugee program because they too are pretty squishy on it.  But, you might try contacting NumbersUSA because they have taken a stand against the Diversity Visa Lottery (another ridiculous legal immigration conduit).  And, Numbers is very concerned about the jobs problem.

If readers have other ideas about who to contact, then please send us a comment!