Month: July 2014

Colorado refugees lobby for more money for ORR as a result of border surge

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Update:  Alaska chiming in too—wahhhh! we need money for refugees!  (Hat tip: Joanne)

You have to hand it to them, the refugee industry federal contractors*** sure can gin-up a media/lobbying campaign when threatened with the prospect that their funding (through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)) might be slashed.

Republican Rep. Mike Coffman of Aurora, CO: wrong to cut funding for refugees.

Here is a Denver Post story saying much the same as we are seeing around the country—waahhhh! we are going to lose funding because of all the “children” surging across the border.  But, of course they want the children too (as clients and as potential Democrat voters)!

A Colorado Republican Congressman agrees the money shouldn’t be cut!

From the Denver Post:

People who help refugees in Colorado are concerned that their program funding may be diverted to help the unaccompanied children coming over the border, and the refugee community is taking action by visiting local politicians to lobby for their cause.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement — which funds a variety of programs including refugee assistance and the needs of unaccompanied child migrants — has proposed redirecting $94 million in funding from refugee programs to use for the humanitarian crisis of children coming across the borders.

The number of children this year has swamped projections, creating a funding shortfall, and in June the agency notified Congress that it must reduce refugee services.

Here is USCRI again (99% funded by you!):

If Congress approves the emergency funding, there will be no cuts to the refugee programs, said Stacie Blake, spokeswoman for the U.S. Committee for Refuges and Immigrants. But without that funding, she said, across the United States, programs in English as a second language will be eliminated, critical employment programs for refugees will be shut down, and thousands of Americans who serve refugees will lose their jobs.

Refugee lobbying delegation visited Congressional office:

A delegation of about eight refugees recently visited the Aurora office of U.S.Rep. Mike Coffman. Narabada Bhandara from Nepal learns how to make a resume in the workshop at the Africa Community Center in Denver, Colo., Tuesday, July 8, 2014.

“We explained that you cannot solve one crisis by creating another crisis,” said Bhuwan Tyakurel, a community leader with the Global Bhutanese Community Colorado.

Coffman agrees.

“It would be wrong to divert any funding that is already dedicated to serving the African, Burmese, Bhutanese and Nepalese refugees in my district who are already in this country,” he said via email. “No doubt, what is occurring at the border is a humanitarian crisis but arbitrarily punishing one immigrant community for the benefit of another is wrong, and what is needed right now is a solution that stops the problem at our border from getting worse.”

All of our reporting on the ‘unaccompanied minor’ invasion may be found by clicking here.

***The contractors

 

Minnesota report: unvaccinated Somali child was “Patient Zero” in 2011 measles outbreak

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

From Hiiraan:

A new report investigating a recent measles outbreak in Minnesota offers a new window into how the disease can be spread by just one unvaccinated person.

High levels of autism in Somali children in Minneapolis lead parents to not vaccinate children for measles. Photo: NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/health/17auti.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Here’s how the 2011 outbreak, which sickened 19 children and two adults in Minnesota, happened:

An unvaccinated Somali-American 2-year-old some have dubbed “Patient Zero” traveled with his parents to Kenya, where he contracted the measles virus.

When the family returned to Minnesota, the child showed symptoms, including a fever, cough and vomiting.

But before he was diagnosed as having measles, the child had already passed the virus on to three other children at his daycare center, and another household member, CBS News reports.

Ultimately, more than 3,000 people in in the tight-knit Twin Cities Somali community were exposed to the disease.

[….]

Minnesota Department of Health researchers say that is typical in the Somali immigrant community, where MMR vaccination rates remain low, CBS News reports.

In 2004, the number of Somali children in the state who were on schedule with their MMR topped 90 percent.

“By 2010, that was down to just 54 percent,” epidemiologist Pam Gahr, who led the new research, told CBS.

She says the steep drop in vaccinations stems from misinformation about a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

See our health issues category with more on measles, autism and other health issues in the US immigrant/refugee population.

Twenty Jewish groups want more tax dollars to “welcome the stranger”

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Not letting a good crisis go to waste, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) has generated a letter to Obama and the Congress looking for more payola from the feds to take care of the illegal alien “children” surging across our Southern border.

Mark Hetfield is CEO of HIAS. He wants critics of refugee program investigated!

HIAS is the same organization that last year called for an investigation of any local citizens who object to refugee resettlement in their towns and cities, here.

From JTA:

WASHINGTON (JTA) – Twenty Jewish organizations urged President Obama and Congress to deal humanely with the unaccompanied children and refugees from Central America who are crossing the U.S. border.

The statement released Tuesday, which was written by the refugee resettlement agency HIAS, calls on the government to “welcome the stranger” in dealing with those entering the United States through Mexico from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

“The safety and well-being of these migrants – and particularly the unaccompanied children – must be at the heart of every policy decision made in response to this humanitarian crisis,” according to the statement, which was signed by such groups as the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith International and the Jewish Federations of North America.

In the statement, the Jewish organizations call for a long term, holistic solution “that prioritizes safety and opportunity.” They call for increased border enforcement in connection with measures to ensure that those in danger of persecution in their homeland can seek asylum in the United States. The Jewish groups also are calling for increased funding for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Policy.

[….]

Also signing the statement were Ameinu, Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Jewish Labor Committee, Jewish Women International, Keshet, National Council of Jewish Women, the Rabbinical Assembly, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Jewish Reconstructionist Communities, The Solomon Project, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, Union for Reform Judaism, Uri L’Tzedek and The Workmen’s Circle.

For new readers HIAS is one of nine federal refugee contractors (below) which will stand to gain increased funding if more of your tax dollars go to processing each of the illegal alien teens (HIAS potential “clients”) entering the US over the last many months.

HIAS was one of the leading advocacy groups pushing for amnesty through the so-called “comprehensive” ( gang of eight) immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last year.

***The contractors

Philadelphia: Liberians furious about fire response; riot

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Editor:  This is a guest post from ‘pungentpeppers.’   I’m traveling today and will see how much I can still get posted.  The mainstream media is doing a pretty good job of paying attention to the “refugee” issue these days—thanks to the unaccompanied alien minors surging at the border (LOL! less work for me!).

We don’t take very many Liberians through the regular resettlement program (one of the articles ‘pp’ linked says 3,300 went to Philadelphia), but large numbers who were here for other reasons, some illegally, were also granted ‘temporary protected status’ and never went home.  TPS is another LEGAL immigration program for “refugees” that needs to be scrapped.  Search RRW for ‘temporary protected status’ to read more.

Diversity is beautiful alert……see link to tax fraud by Philadelphia Liberians too (below)!

‘Pungenpeppers’ reporting from Philly:

Liberian protester arrested. Photo: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/07/philadelphia-fatal-fire-protest/12321835/

After a fire took four young lives, an angry, mostly Liberian mob stormed the streets of Southwest Philadelphia yesterday (Monday) taking over entire blocks. At times hurling water bottles at police, the outraged crowd were protesting what they perceived to be a too slow response to the fire that also destroyed a block of homes in their Liberian neighborhood.

Gathering on the heels of threats made against firefighters, the noisy protesters blocked a fire station, preventing crews from responding to emergency calls. Per NBC10’s George Spencer, at the scene, it was “one of the angriest mobs I have seen as a reporter”.

Saturday’s blaze started before 3:00 a.m., perhaps after fireworks set alight a sofa that was being used as porch furniture. The fire exploded and spread quickly to neighboring row homes. Dewen Bowah, 41, was in the home alone at the time taking care of seven children. She saved three daughters, but could not reach her 4-year-old twins, Maria and Marialla Bowah, or the children of another mother, 1-month-old Taj Jacque and 4-year-old Patrick Sanyeah who perished. Bowah, who saved her life by jumping out a second story window, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

At the stormy protest, Patrick Sanyeah, whose son — also named Patrick — died in the fire, shouted “These people let our kids burn to ashes!” Other family members and neighbors accused police and firefighters, yelling “Murderers!” After nightfall, the crowd finally dispersed.

“Obviously the fire is the individual incident that set this off,” said Liberian community activist Christian Dunbar, “but I think this is frustration from a community that feels underrepresented.” Dahn Dennis, president of the Liberian Association of Pennsylvania, said, “The route being taken now is not the right way. This is not the representation of Liberians. We are decent people.” Many Liberians have been settled in Philadelphia by refugee resettlement contractors. Per a Philadelphia Weekly report, since the late 1990s, more refugees have arrived in Philadelphia from Liberia than from any other country—about 3,300 in total.

Fire investigators plan to return this morning to sift through the ashes. Last year, the Philadelphia Fire Department distributed free smoke detectors to the residents of the street, and it’s been reported that the detectors were installed in the home at that time.

Sorry, this is a major story, and I used many links:

About the Protests:
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/07/07/protest-outside-fire-station-near-scene-of-deadly-blaze-that-killed-4-children-in-southwest-philadelphia/

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140708_Protest_shows_anger__frustration_after_fatal_SW_Phila__fire.html

http://6abc.com/news/protests-near-scene-of-deadly-sw-phila-blaze/158251/

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Several-Arrested-During-Protest-of-Response-to-Fatal-Fire-266127201.html

About the Fire:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2681549/I-hear-little-kids-screaming-Tragedy-four-children-including-baby-boy-killed-late-night-blaze-ripped-eight-homes.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/children-killed-fast-moving-rowhouse-fire-24436019

Re Liberian Refugees (from 2010)
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/refugees-settling-in-philadelphia.html

Addendum:

By the way, out of Liberia yesterday, is news that Liberians in the Philadelphia area have been involved in tax refund fraud.

Liberia: African Immigrants Dupe U.S. Government of Six Million

UNHCR: Not letting a good crisis go to waste! Big push to change definition of a “refugee”

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The international Socialist and Communist One-Worlders who call the UN home are making their big move! 

Antonio Guterres, the present UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is a life-long Socialist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_Guterres

If Obama’s US State Department concurs with this brazen initiative we will be stuck with thousands (millions ultimately) of people claiming to be fleeing crime in their country.

To date fear of crime does NOT MAKE ONE A REFUGEE and thus eligible for all of the “protections” and social service goodies refugees receive.

From the Associated Press (Hat tip: Edward)

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — United Nations officials are pushing for many of the Central Americans fleeing to the U.S. to be treated as refugees displaced by armed conflict, a designation meant to increase pressure on the United States and Mexico to accept tens of thousands of people currently ineligible for asylum.

Officials with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees say they hope to see movement toward a regional agreement on that status Thursday when migration and interior department representatives from the U.S., Mexico, and Central America meet in Nicaragua. The group will discuss updating a 30-year-old declaration regarding the obligations nations have to aid refugees.

While such a resolution would lack any legal weight, the agency said it believes “the U.S. and Mexico should recognize that this is a refugee situation, which implies that they shouldn’t be automatically sent to their home countries but rather receive international protection.”

Most of the people widely considered to be refugees by the international community are fleeing more traditional political or ethnic conflicts like those in Syria or the Sudan. Central Americans would be among the first modern migrants considered refugees because they are fleeing violence and extortion at the hands of criminal gangs.

Here is what we said in a post on Sunday.  Changing the definition of what constitutes a “refugee” is something they have been after for years!

Here is the definition of a refugee as updated in 1967 (from the original 1951 UN Convention):

“A person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it..”[8]

Do you see anything in there about wars, violence or natural disasters?   Refugees and asylum seekers are supposed to be able to prove they are being persecuted!  Economic migrants and people who claim they are fleeing crime are not refugees!

Obama said he would transform America.  Well this is it folks!  This is the big move and the dumb Republicans in Washington apparently can’t see it!