Guest column: This is not the time to let up!

Editor’s note:  As we mentioned here just recently we do publish important comments and guest commentary from time to time.
This is a message from one of our regular readers and an energetic researcher and advocate for our cause, Mr. Bob Enos of Willmar, MN.  We have all been encouraged by the national media attention to the problem of refugee resettlement which we’ve known about for a long time.  The abrupt turnaround by governors, many of whom hardly had any idea that refugees were being resettled in their states in the first place, is heartening.  But, it isn’t time for us to let up because, as Bob quotes Yogi Berra, “it ain’t over till it’s over.”
From Bob Enos:

In the aftermath of the most recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Russia, and Lebanon, I have received phone calls and emails from numerous, fellow activists who have been fighting the good fight against unbridled, forcible refugee resettlement in the United States. To be sure, it’s been tough sledding for us. The reaction from over 20 US governors and many state legislatures, demanding the Syrian refugee resettlement program be halted amidst security concerns, is a long-overdue validation of our concerns.

That said, this is not the time for us to become self-satisfied, smug, or complacent.

 

 
(Watch and listen to Mr. Enos making a presentation to a county council, here, last summer—just one example of what citizen activists have been doing to educate their fellow citizens and elected officials.)

The US refugee resettlement industry – and it IS an industry – has been knocked back on its heels for a moment, but let’s not forget, this is a multi-million dollar money-maker for “non-profit” organizations, meatpackers and various low-wage employers, and the United Nations. The Mob has killed adversaries over smaller stakes than this! These human traffickers – and that’s what they are – will reset, recallibrate, adjust their plans and p/r, and resume their business with renewed vigor; count on it.

We must keep up the pressure, on as many fronts as possible. The resettlement of Somali refugees in my home state of Minnesota continues unabated, even though recent studies indicate that the resettlement of ONE Somali family cost the taxpayers in the neighborhood of a half million dollars for five years. Just yesterday, an activist sent me an official document from the Stearns County, MN Family Services Department, indicating that its annual budget for Emergency General Assistance programs – primarily for housing – has been exhausted in three months. Stearns County contains the second-largest concentration of Somali refugees of any county in Minnesota.

We cannot continue to finance resettlement with a blank check issued by taxpayers, for a program they never asked for.

So remember: as the late Yogi Berra once said, “it ain’t over till it’s over.” Continue to press local, county, and state officials for complete transparency in refugee resettlement financing.

Contact your state legislative representatives – particularly those led by Republican majorities in states whose governors’ offices are held by Democrats – and remind them of the opportunity that these tragic attacks have provided. This is a way to honor the memories of those innocents who have died from acts of terrorism.

One final thought. In 1958, a book hit the shelves, called “The Ugly American.” It became a benchmark in political literature. It depicted the failure of American diplomats to be sensitive to the local customs, language, and traditions of host countries in which they worked. The term was later applied to American tourists visiting foreign countries who behaved obnoxiously, waving their money, running their mouths, making demands of their hosts.

Doesn’t it seem that the tables have turned?

See other ‘comments worth noting and guest posts’ by clicking here.

Fate of Syrian resettlement in US this year rests in the hands of Ryan and McConnell

I’m happy to report that our readers are more up on the news than I have been these last few days.  Thanks to all of you who are sending me hot-off-the-press news on the roiling controversy about Syrian refugee resettlement AP (After Paris).  I just don’t have the time to post it all!

Ryan and Mcconnell
Speaker Ryan and Senate Majority leader McConnell will be the ones who determine the fate of resettlement of Syrian refugees in the US this year (not the governors!). Kentucky is gradually becoming an important resettlement target and it’s been a mystery to me why McConnell has let it happen. I can only assume McConnell gets campaign contributions from industries, including the chicken processing industry, which needs cheap reliable laborers. For ambitious readers, we have a very large archive on Kentucky extending back many years (with many problems) here: https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/?s=Kentucky

LOL! I did take a break today as Rush Limbaugh held forth for what I assume was much of his show and every time I turned on the TV I heard the “R” word (refugee).  Heck, everyone is covering it, I reminded myself.
Here, at Politico, is a story from yesterday I’ve been meaning to get to.
Don’t get me wrong, it is wonderful that governors across the country are speaking up, but even if you wish them to have the power to stop the resettlement (unless there was a Constitutional challenge which does need to get underway, but will take years!) there is really only one place it can be done quickly with any finality (for this year) and that is in Congress where the FUNDING MUST BE CUT OFF.
See our post on Saturday where I said just that—CONGRESS MUST USE ITS POWER OF THE PURSE!
The refugee resettlement contractors know that very well or they wouldn’t have had an emergency press conference call today!
Here is Politico telling us what the stakes are and informing us that what happens next will be the first crisis for new House Speaker Paul Ryan.

A cascade of Republicans on Monday implored the Obama administration to scrap plans to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States next year, saying they pose an unacceptable security risk in the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris.

And, in a dramatic twist, the sudden standoff is raising the possibility of a government shutdown next month.

Throughout the day a host of Republican governors around the country, wary that refugees could end up in their home states, blasted President Barack Obama’s plans. But those governors lack real sway over the process, and some are asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to insert a provision in the Dec. 11 spending bill that would bar more Syrian settlers.

Did you see this?  Lindsey Graham has backed off his earlier proposal to ADD funding for Syrian resettlement!

The politics are moving fast: The Democratic governor of New Hampshire, a Senate candidate, is siding with conservatives, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is reversing his support for a $1 billion spending bill intended to allow in more Syrian refugees after touting the measure just weeks ago. GOP leaders are keeping their options open as they mull whether to try to block new Syrian refugees by adding language to the must-pass spending bill.

[….]

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), one of the leading immigration hard-liners in the Capitol, sent a letter to colleagues calling for provisions in the omnibus spending bill that would give Congress more oversight over Syrian refugees.

[….]

Ryan and McConnell will have to decide quickly on a course of action as they confront the first potential legislative crisis since Ryan became speaker.

More here.
Please everyone, starting tomorrow call your Washington elected representatives and call the leadership—Ryan and McConnell—and let them know how you feel.  And, keep calling through the Thanksgiving recess.
By the way, the resettlement contractors*** are ginning up their grassroots and the most maddening part of that is that they get to use your tax dollars to do it!
***Nine major federal contractors which like to call themselves VOLAGs (Voluntary agencies) which is such a joke considering how much federal money they receive:

Refugee contractors go into defense mode with conference call today

Thanks to Jim for sending this….
I think they see that someone might break their rice bowls (the contractors are paid by the head to resettle refugees).  Three bigwigs in conference call!
 

**** PRESS ADVISORY****
TOMORROW: Tuesday, November 17th at 11 am ET
To Join: Dial 888-632-3384; Passcode “REFUGEE”

In Wake of Paris Tragedy, Refugee Resettlement Leaders Respond to Latest Calls to Stop the Admission of Syrian Refugees
Explain Why U.S. Can and Should Be a Leader in Refugee Protection and Resettlement

Washington, DC – On a press call today, November 17th at 11 AM Eastern, a coalition of humanitarian and refugee resettlement leaders will respond to the latest calls to stop the admission of Syrian refugees and explain why the U.S. must show leadership in the face of this global crisis.

In the wake of last week’s tragic attacks in Paris, France, many have been quick to point fingers and place blame on refugee families fleeing horrific violence and terrorism in Syria.  In the United States, multiple governors have announced their opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in their state. A number of Presidential candidates have also called for a halt to all refugee settlement of Syrians.

On today’s call, speakers will describe the extraordinary nature of the crisis, the unprecedented screening mechanisms already in place, and call for continued US leadership on one of the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII.

WHAT:            In Wake of Paris Tragedy, Refugee Resettlement Leaders Respond to Latest Calls to Stop the Admission of Syrian Refugees

WHEN:            Tuesday, November 17th, 2015 at 11 AM Eastern

WHO:              Kevin Appleby, Director of Migration Policy, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Linda Hartke, President, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Lavinia Limon, President & CEO, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Naomi Steinberg, Director, Refugee Council USA (Moderator)

TO JOIN:          Dial 888-632-3384; Passcode “REFUGEE”   

 

House Immigration Subcommittee to hold hearing on Syrian resettlement Thursday

This is a hearing we have been wondering about literally for months.  What took them so long?
Trey Gowdy is Chairman of the Subcommittee, go here for details.
Here is the witness list (what is this “invited,” haven’t they agreed to show up?):

Anne Richard cctv
Asst. Sec. of State for PRM Anne Richard. See bio: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/188212.htm

Ms. Anne C. Richard (Invited)
Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, United States Department of State

Ms. Barbara L. Strack (Invited)
Chief, Refugee Affairs Division, Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Directorate
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Mr. Seth Jones
Director
International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation

Mr. Mark Krikorian
Executive Director
Center for Immigration Studies

Mr. Mark Hetfield
President and Chief Executive Officer
HIAS  (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, one of nine federal resettlement contractors)

Go here to our archives to learn more about Anne Richard, and here for Mark Hetfield.
See Subcommittee members here.   I’m assuming the hearing will be televised by C-Span.

In first six weeks of FY2016 we resettled 827 Somalis; all but one are Muslim

As I mentioned in my post this morning on governors, while we are going crazy over Syrian Muslims coming into the US, the beat goes on with the resettlement of Somalis which we have been bringing for over two decades (once a resettlement starts it doesn’t end) and dropping them off in your states.
Top five ‘lucky’ states are Minnesota, Arizona, New York, Ohio and Texas.
Here is a map showing where the first 827 Somalis have been resettled since October 1 (the beginning of the 2016 fiscal year). Last year the total was around 8,858 (well over 100,000 now)  Why?  Why are we still bringing in Somalis at this high rate?  And, by the way, we are picking up Somalis all over the world and there is no data on them either!  Tell me how you vet someone who has “made his way” to Indonesia or Malaysia? Or, to Malta for that matter after launching from Libya?
Poster boy (here) for Somali resettlement to America?
 
map Somalis 2015
 
Surprise, there was one Christian in the batch of 827!  Search data here.
***Update*** November 18th The bill supported by Speaker Paul Ryan, authored by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), and expected to be voted on tomorrow in the House, merely calls for the administration to certify that any refugees brought here from Iraq and Syria are not terrorists.  Why are Somalis not included?  More Somali former refugees have left the US to fight with al-shabab and ISIS than any other ethnic group.
***Update***November 19th  See Iraqi resettlement numbers for these same first six weeks of FY2016, here.  Did your state get Iraqis?