The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) is one of nine major federal refugee resettlement contractors (aka lobbyists) which live off of your tax dollars.***
They have been busy, busy, busy lobbying for everything from amnesty (S. 744, Gang of Eight bill), to more Syrian (mostly Muslim) refugees for America, for an expansion of the refugee program and now for more bucks for the Unaccompanied Alien Children.
This is from their latest Action alert:
When Congress returns to Washington next week it must vote to fund the government for the current fiscal year. Decisions will be made about funding immigration judges and lawyers, detention facilities, and whether or not to keep important protections in place for children seeking asylum.
Join us in urging Congress to ensure that children and others who are running for their lives are given a fair chance to seek asylum in the United States.
And, for the convenience of their supporters they even provide language for their appeal. Note they are pushing for the “children” to be granted asylum (they would then be “refugees” and get all the goodies available to them as full-blown refugees).
Subject line:
Central American Children Must Be Allowed to Seek Asylum
Text:
I support fair and humane treatment of Central American migrants who have sought refuge in the United States. Rampant violence–much of it aimed at women and children–has led thousands of people to flee Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador in the past two years. Most of the unaccompanied children arriving in the U.S. have fled violence, sexual abuse, forced gang recruitment, and other forms of exploitation and should be eligible for asylum or other relief in the U.S.
As a global humanitarian leader, the United States must respect the rights of those who seek asylum. However, under U.S. law, asylum seekers–including children–are not eligible for court appointed lawyers. This means that many children must navigate the complex immigration system alone and must represent themselves in court, and many are jailed while doing so.
As you consider the bill to fund the government for the current fiscal year, I urge you to ensure that there is sufficient funding for immigration courts to process cases efficiently and for lawyers to represent all children seeking asylum. I urge you to fund alternatives to detention rather than facilities that will jail those who seek safety in the United States. Finally, I urge you to keep in place important existing legal protections for children seeking asylum.
Throughout our history, America has been defined by our generosity toward those who seek a safe haven from violence, oppression, and persecution. I urge you to show leadership in ensuring that children and others who are running for their lives are given a fair chance to seek safe haven in the United States.
***Check out HIAS, Inc.’s Form 990 (the most recent one available). They had a total revenue of $25 million and $15 million came from you as government grants (in rounded numbers). Hetfield made $186,000 that year, but out-going President Gideon Aronoff was pulling down a salary in excess of $300,000 for a partial year. Maybe Aronoff could take a few of the ‘persecuted’ children into his home?
See our complete archive on ‘Unaccompanied minors’ by clicking here.