Update October 11: Breitbart picks up the story, here.
We have been reporting to you for years that the only way the federal government and its contractors can successfully establish a new or expanded refugee seed community is by keeping their plans secret, within a small group of supporters (and some elected officials!), and getting the program approved before the general public catches on.
It has been my contention for the last nine years that resettlement planning must be done openly, in broad daylight with plenty of opportunity for the public to get all the facts and weigh in on whether they think it is the right thing for their community.
If the non-profit groups (the contractors) and the Department of State (DOS) cannot ‘sell’ the program with all the facts laid out in advance, then the program is not suitable for this particular community.
Today, Michael Patrick Leahy at Breitbart has summarized some of the latest information on communities kept in the dark about what Washington had planned for them. Click here for that story.
Now the Charleston, WV story!
You can visit our previous posts on Charleston here.
West Virginia has only gotten a very small number of refugees ever since this program was established in 1980, but all that could change if Episcopal Migration Ministries joins Catholic Charities and begins to place Syrian and other refugees from the Middle East and Africa in the state capital.
And, frankly, you would never know that it was happening, that the federal legislators had met with a local Interfaith group and gave the go-ahead by attending meetings, being informed and then not saying anything to the general public about the quiet planning process underway. If it weren’t for the dogged research of one citizen activist—Brenda Arthur—no one but a tiny select group of insiders would have a clue about what was coming.
I’ll let Brenda tell you the story (below) as she told it to Senator Jeff Sessions when she sent this testimony last week to the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest which the Senator chairs.
October 1, 2016
The Honorable Jeff Sessions
Senate Judiciary Committee
Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest
U.S. Senate
Washington , D.C. 20510
RE: UN/US Refugee Admissions Program
Dear Senator Sessions :
I am writing out of my deep concern for the invasion of our country which is being sponsored and sanctioned by our own State Department and the UNHCR through the Refugee Admissions program all with our own tax dollars .
The UNHCR is picking our refugees for us and it is clear that our State Department has failed in its mission for the people of the United States . This Refugee Admissions program is not serving the interest of the America people but is serving the interests of lobbyists , globalists , and the 9 major Volags who are and have been feeding at the public trough for decades now . Congress has failed miserably to provide for our interests and seemingly has”rubber stamped” the President’s determination yearly . Please hear us now as we make our plea to save our country .
Third world poverty is being imported into our country en masse . This is being done as part of Obama’s overall plan to fundamentally transform America . The whole immigration system is out of control . West Virginia already faces a budget shortfall for 2018 FY of 290 million dollars , the unemployment rate is 6.5% and above the national average , the assault on our coal industry has cost 700 coal miners their jobs, there is a drug epidemic , and the June flood disaster severely damaged or destroyed 1200 homes. In addition , there are other economic factors that are impacting our state . How does it even remotely make sense to bring foreign nationals to our state at such high tax payer expense when so many of our own people are suffering ? Further , our country is 20 trillion dollars in debt . A sane nation does not do this !
Because we are a small state we have so far escaped some of the invasion devastation other larger states have experienced by their towns being invaded and overrun by hoards of peoples who neither want to assimilate or are assimilating . In fact , it is my understanding that they are encouraged ” not to assimilate but rather to integrate ” . I along with others are trying very hard to fight this invasion and keep this from happening here to our beloved state of West Virginia .
In my research to find out about the workings of the Refugee Resettlement program and the contractors I became aware that this program has been operating very much in secret since its inception in 1980. Once I became aware of this effort to resettle refugees in my state of West Virginia I contacted 7-8 elected officials : 2 town mayors , 3-4 state senators and or delegates , my U.S. Congressman Alex Mooney , U.S.Senator Shelley Moore Capito , and the Governor’s office . Even though refugees had been resettled in West Virginia no one knew anything about it . The Chief of Staff for Governor Tomblin even told me that West Virginia was not scheduled to receive any refugees . I later found out that the Governor had in fact signed a state refugee plan 3-4 months before I made the call to his office . This is not accountable or transparent government .
USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) operating as Catholic Charities of West Virginia is the major contractor in our state placing refugees . EMM ( Episcopal Migration Ministries) has filed with the State Department to also become a contractor here in West Virginia . I never hear the contractors speak of the interests of the people . They always speak of the interests of the refugees. I very much want to see the Episcopal Migration Ministries application to “set up shop ” rejected . I have tried to get word regarding this to my U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito but it seems to fall on deaf ears or it is not being communicated to her .
On August 1 ,2016 I contacted the State Refugee Coordinator here in West Virginia to request a copy of the R&P (Reception & Placement ) Abstract for 2016 and 2017 . I was asked who I was . I replied that I am just a private citizen who wants to know about the refugee resettlement program in West Virginia . The State Refugee Coordinator then told me that they couldn’t give this out to just anybody . I asked her why not when it is a public document and the program is paid for mostly with our tax dollars. She just replied that we have our process and that I would have to make a FOIA request . I did make that request and received the documents on August 9 ,2016 .
In finding out more about how the contractors operate I learned that they are to hold quarterly ” stakeholder ” meetings to track and report on the refugees who have been placed . I found out that they consider entities like the school officials, law enforcement, free clinic providers, potential employers , social service providers ,and others the “stakeholders” —–not the people of the community . We are completely left out while they operate in ” secret” .
It would be in the best interests of the refugees to one day return to their home country . Meanwhile , for every 1 refugee brought here we could provide the necessities of life for 12 refugees there . The Refugee Admissions program also poses a threat to our national security as you know . This fact alone should be sufficient to de-fund this program and put a halt to the refugee admissions ” racket” .
Senator Sessions , the Refugee Act of 1980 ultimately needs to be repealed . Meanwhile , “We the People ” must rely on advocates like you who will operate in our interests —-not the interests of the UN , lobbyists , globalists , or any and all enemies both foreign and domestic who are out to undermine the sovereignty, safety , and security of our beloved and great nation.
Sincerely ,
Brenda K. Arthur
cc: Senator Shelley Moore Capito
Senator Joe Manchin
Congressman Alex Mooney
Arthur would like to have one-on-one meetings with members of the West Virginia delegation to discuss why she thinks the program is not good for West Virginia where the coal industry has been devastated and Americans need jobs. So far they will not meet with her.
But get this, they have already been meeting with the WV Interfaith Ministry and the WV Friends of Syrian Refugees as noted in January 2016 minutes obtained by Arthur. I found it interesting that these advocates for resettling refugees appear to be completely in the bag for Syrians, usually groups like this are pushing refugee resettlement in general and are happy with whatever ethnic groups they acquire. (And apparently the contractors have not informed them that they don’t choose who comes to WV, they will be assigned a smattering of up to 15 different ethnic groups.)
Below is a screen shot from page 2 of the minutes:
So, why are they making themselves scarce when it comes to those in opposition to bringing Syrians to West Virginia?
Incidentally, we do know that 99% of the Syrians entering the US now are Muslims (mostly Sunnis) who are not being thoroughly screened. We heard that in testimony to the Sessions’ subcommittee here.