We have a lot of experience with the word “temporary” and how it doesn’t mean what it means when it comes to immigration programs! Therefore when we saw what initially looked like a news report at The Hillalarm bells began to ring.
However, note that this story about a newly introduced bill is actually an opinion piece written by the college professor whose idea this is. Rep. Mike Honda hero (NOT!): getting Leftwing brownie points by introducing bill that is dead on arrival.
And, before you go crazy, know that any bill introduced now is dead in the water and its sponsor is only doing it for brownie points. Congress has adjourned and all bills die with the Congress and must be reintroduced in the new Congress in January. So hereis the op-ed by Dr. Amitai Etzioni at The Hill:
Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) added to his long list of credits when, in the dying hours of the 114th Congress, he introduced a bill that should cheered everyone’s holidays—HR 6510: The Save the Children Act of 2016.
The act authorizes granting temporary visas to 25,000 Syrian refugee children, ages three to 10, to live in the U.S. until the civil war in their country ends. These children, to be chosen by their families or orphaned, will be able to live in the homes of American families who will volunteer to host them. The costs of their care will be covered by the host families themselves or by charitable organizations.
These visas will expire six months after our government determines that hostilities have ceased and a durable peace process has begun. [So what if it is decades before peace returns to Syria?—ed] The grace period will allow time for the families of the children to re-establish their households in Syria before the children return.
The Department of State, together with Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services will coordinate the inflow and return of these children.
[….]
The bill grew out of a policy proposal formulated by Dr. Amitai Etzioni of The George Washington University. It was drafted by Layth Elhassani at Covington and Burling LLP as part of his pro bono work.
[….]
Amitai Etzioni is a University Professor and Professor of International Affairs at The George Washington University.
“We in Bloomington and groups all throughout the United States are waiting for the new budget to come out. Like a lot of vulnerable populations, we will have to see how much funding will be allocated.”
(Refugee promoterDiane Legomsky)
This is the first in what I expect to be many reports from controversial potential refugee resettlement sites that the Obama State Department was attempting to get open quickly. Why? Because actions by Congress to limit funding in the appropriations process are causing the DOS and the ORR to start pulling in the reins on new sites. US STATE DEPT. NO-SHOW! More than 100 people came out to a refugee forum in Bloomington, Indiana in early November. Experts DON BARNETT and JIM SIMPSON debated one lonely pro-refugee immigration lawyer, when Barbara Day, representing the US State Department, was a no-show and purportedly discouraged refugee agencies in the state from participating as well. Photo and story from Bloomington, here: http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016/11/locals-discuss-concerns-for-refugee-families Elections have consequences and the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)may be changed beginning January 21, 2017 (the day after inauguration day).
We expect the present political appointees, Anne Richard at the Dept. of State and Bob Carey at the Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS) to be job hunting soon if they aren’t already. Indeed, they could go back (revolving door!) to the ‘non-profit’ resettlement contractor they both came from—the International Rescue Committee.
Showing once again the impact that federal funding (or the lack of it!) has on local resettlement offices, the announcement that the planned program is now on hold for Bloomington, IN was reported yesterday at the Herald Times (emphasis is mine):
The effort to resettle refugees in Bloomington has been put on hold as local and national aid organizations await details of the incoming presidential administration’s 2017 budget plans.
The announcement came Saturday from Bloomington Refugee Support Network chairwoman Diane Legomsky, who said while the organization is no longer expecting refugees to arrive this spring, she is confident this is just a delay of the inevitable.
“We in Bloomington and groups all throughout the United States are waiting for the new budget to come out. Like a lot of vulnerable populations, we will have to see how much funding will be allocated. However, this is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when.’” Legomsky said. “We certainly anticipate that resettlement will be happening here; it just might be in late 2017 or in 2018.”
The State Department has been clear that it considers Bloomington an ideal resettlement city: In addition to being extremely welcoming, it is an exceptionally well-resourced city, able to resettle and give support to refugees in a very cost-effective way. Any budgeting decisions about resettlement are based on national, rather than state or local, considerations, Legomsky said.
[….]
Local efforts to welcome refugees to Bloomington have sparked opposition from the Grassroots Conservative political group, which has raised concerns at public forums about safety and potential cost to host communities.
Earlier this month, Congress passed a continuing spending resolution to fund the federal government through April 28, providing an opportunity for the new administration to put its imprint on the 2017 budget. [Will Trump severely restrict federal funding in the second half of FY2017?—ed]
President-elect Donald Trump was critical of the Syrian resettlement program, in particular, during his recent presidential campaign, and he called for suspension of immigration from areas of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism until “extreme vetting” measures could be put in place.
The law is very clear on this last point, the President of the United States can stop immigration from any region of the world he wishes. More here (but warning this requires a paid subscription).
One commenter said that local millionaire developers (who have empty apartments) will be disappointed! Remember refugee resettlement is big business! Federal dollars (your money) grease the skids.
Look for more from me going forward about the federal Budget and Appropriations process in the new year.
Admittedly I get all sorts of strange e-mails, but this series of e-mails is the most interesting, informative and amusing I’ve ever gotten. We all, especially bloggers, need to be on the lookout for fake news. Was Jake a fake? Other than trying to get me to publish fake news, what else might he have been doing in this e-mail thread? It began with an e-mail on December 1 from someone identifying himself as ‘Jake.’
Below is a chronological report on our e-mail conversation. I am taking out all references to numbers, ethnic groups and locations so that Jake (or his friends) can’t turn around and say I am promoting fake news.
Read this and tell me what you think!
Jake:
Hello,
My company is looking to provide jobs and housing for up to _____ (6-figure number) _____ (Muslim ethnic group) refugees in ____ and ____ (states). We are going to help them gain residence and resettle in the US so they can start a new life here. Can you point me in the right direction so that I may get in touch with the management of the refugee camps in _____and _____ (countries)? We have purchased two properties adjacent to our office park and manufacturing plants and based on early estimates we should be able to provide decent housing for at least ____(6-figure) people. Please if you can point me in the right direction as we are hoping to have these refugees resettled and getting their lives back together within ___ years. Our ultimate goal is the help them resettle in the area as seamlessly as possible.
Me:
Hi Jake, forgive me, but is this a joke? LOL! Tis the season of fake news after all….look forward to hearing from you if you are serious!
Jake:
Hi Anne,
I’m not sure what would be a joke about it but yes we would like to help as many as we can. Please let me know if you have any information for me.
Thank you,
Jake
Me:
Call me.
Jake:
Anne,
I’m currently overseas and have not had great luck with phone service where I am. I wanted to find out if you had information on the management for some of these refugee camps so we can talk to them about our resettlement program. Our goal is to provide____ (5-figure) well paying jobs and housing to families totaling up to ____(5-figure) people.
Me (going along but noting a big discrepancy in the numbers he first gave me):
Hi again, Your numbers have changed somewhat. Tell me more about what you have in mind and if you have been in touch with the US State Department about your plans? What sort of jobs are you envisioning?
When do you return to the US?
Jake (highlighting mine):
____ (6-figure number) is correct, ____ (5-figure number) was a typo. We have manufacturing plants and office parks in___ and ___ (states). We would provide training and jobs rang from manufacturing, groundskeeping, to office work depending on the needs and skills, as well as our national and international frieght network. Because of the specialized nature of our work we have been able to streamline the immigration process to gain residence at a much faster pace than is normally provided for refugees. By providing specialized work we can not only ensure that our company has skilled workers for decades to come, we can also bypass the slow relocation process. That is the glory of working with a large company. Right now we have the capacity to fill ____ (five figure) jobs and provide housing for ____ (6-figure numbers, but not the same numbers) people. The most important next step in the processes is to reach out to refugee camps and _____ (Muslim ethnic group) communities so that we can begin the immigration process in the smoothest way possible. Do you have some contact details for me? I think this is a wonderful opportunity to save lives while making the US more diverse. I also feel personally that we need a lot more cultural diversity in the US because the barbaric White/Christian leadership is just so destructive on a global level. As our nation is a melting pot, a refuge for refugees, I hope to see our leadership represented in similar numbers. [I hope you are having a good chuckle by now, it gets better, keep reading!—ed]
Me:
Can you tell me why you feel the ____(ethnic group Jake named) are the best choice for your purpose? No matter which LEGAL immigration program you go through, you still must go through the US State Department, something you would not have to do if you chose out-of-work Americans (of any color), plus they already speak English.
Maybe if you described the actual work, I might be able to make some suggestions.
Thanks, look forward to hearing more!
Ann
p.s. when do you plan to be back in the US so we can have a phone conversation?
Jake:
_____(ethnic group) need our help, isn’t your website an advocacy group for refugees including the ____(ethnic group)? I thought you’d be the best person to talk to. I’ve honestly never met an American who was facing genocide, If an American is out of work they probably need to look harder. I’ve also found that immigrants have a better work ethic. Please let me know if you have the contact info I’m looking for. We build medical equipment, specifically MRI, Dental lasers, x-ray, and sample storage units.
Me (we are now at December 6th):
Jake, let’s be honest, I don’t know what your game is. And who are you?
For someone supposedly wanting to get ____ (6-figure number) of refugees in to the US quickly, you know so little about the immigration process in America that I can’t believe any company has employed you to get the job done. And, that you would write to a blogger for information that bloggers are not privy to—information about who to contact in refugee camps in Asia—strikes me as incredibly naive (if that is what it is).
Tell you what, if you give me the name of your company (LOL! is it the SPLC?), I will believe you. (I told him I planned to write about his inquiry)
Jake:
Wow, clearly your website is a fraud. You have no interest in helping refugees resettle in the US. That is pretty pathetic of you to have a supposed watchdog website for the benefit of refugees but ultimately have no interest in actually helping anyone, it’s just for show. I have written about 6 emails to you and you have not offered a single piece of useful information. We have offered jobs to immigrants for decades and the immigration process is handled by our legal office. I do not need sit here and waste me time speaking with a “blogger” if all you will do is ask me questions instead of being useful. From the brief look I had of your site, it seemed that you actually knew something about the situation in ____(country), but I guess that was false. If you can point me in the right direction so that I may get in touch with some camps, please do. If you are unable to provide this then please stop wasting my time. It seems there are two kind of people in this world, people who actually work to help others, and those who just blog about it….
Me:
“I do not need sit here and waste me time speaking with a “blogger” if all you will do is ask me questions instead of being useful.” [quoting Jake—ed]
Wow! Just wow! I’m wasting your time? You first e-mailed me hoping I would bite on some fake news. Sorry to disappoint you! Come on who do you really work for? No businessman looking to import immigrant labor would sound so dumb! (not to mention have such poor writing skills!) and contact a blogger for advice! Did you ever hear of the US State Department and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees?
Look forward to more e-mails from you!
Jake and his final salvo (or I think it is) on December 13th:
I’m actually dyslexic but do quite alright at my job and the pay is more than I will ever need. I don’t know what fake news you are talking about but you are a disgrace of a human being if you would use refugees to push a blog about helping refugees but have no interest in actually taking action. The fact that you are profiting by pretending to help others makes you not only a fraud, but also a joke. It’s ok, we have been put in touch with the management for two camps and will be beginning the immigration process shorty. I cannot tell you how disgusted I am that you would attempt to profit from the suffering of people. If there is any justice in the world you will also feel the pain and suffering these people experience. I have been to every corner of the world with my work and I promise you that if there is one group of people who deserve to live in refugee camps and face persecution it’s the average American white trash like you who has no concept of the world around them outside of their bubble of ignorance.
Good day, if you believe in God I hope that he has mercy on you. You are a disgrace and it’s artificial people like you who are the reason our country will fall.
Anyone want to hazard a guess about what Jake was up to all along? Was he trying to get me to report a fake news story? Write a derogatory e-mail to him? Trump derangement syndrome? Or, what? Look forward to hearing what you think (no expletives or threats please!)!
….For those of you who are hardcore refugee research geeks! I’ve mentioned ‘processing countries’ from time to time over the years with a special animus for the program (initiated during the Bush Admin) to bring ‘refugees’ in to the US from Malta.
These ‘refugees’ are primarily economic migrants (but what else?) who crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa in hopes of getting farther north in Europe. For some never-explained reason we take hundreds to America every year.
So this morning when I wrote about how NGOs are being accused of aiding and abetting the human traffickers to Europe, I mentioned processing countries again. I thought it would be a good idea now to bring this to the attention of the Trump transition team and Members of Congress who care about our security. How can we possibly know who these wandering (mostly Muslim) ‘refugees’ are? And, since most are being processed first by the United Nations, can we trust the UN?
We are entitled to know which ethnic groups come through these processing countries!
We know from news reports that Syrians are coming in from Turkey and Jordan. We are still bringing thousands from Iraq. We know that a large number of the Somalis come to the US from Kenya, but we know from news reports that Somalis make their way all over the world and get to such odd places as Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa (the rainbow nation!) and Malta and then we pick them up as refugees (if they are legit refugees why didn’t they just go to the UN camps in Kenya?). Hint to Trump team: Note that we take zero Somalis directly from Somalia so you won’t be able to say we are pausing immigration from Somalia, you must refer to the ethnic group no matter where in the world we get them!
I want you to have a look at the numbers (screenshot below) of those who have come in the US in just the first two months of the fiscal year (October 1, 2016 to November 30, 2016), many from countries where they would have been perfectly safe. (Having fun with geography!)
BTW, it is important to capture this information now because by the end of the next month, these maps disappear down some black hole at Wrapsnet.org(or at least I can’t find them!).
Invasion of Europe news…..
Ten days ago we told you about the non-governmental organization ships being sent out in the Mediterranean to intercept the boats packed with African and Middle Eastern migrants attempting to get to Europe. Now we have news that Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency, is actually claiming that there is collusion between the traffickers and the NGOs. ***Update***See aide workers kidnapped and threatened by some of these rescued African migrants! This rescue ship is owned by an American who probably inspired this whole initiative here in 2015. http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/572193/Chris-Regina-Catrambone-rescue-3k-Mediterranean-migrants-rescue-boat
For additional background don’t miss Hillary’s rolein the invasion of Europe! And, if you (Americans!) think this has nothing to do with you—think again! (See Southern border and Malta below.)
From Breitbart London:
The European Union’s (EU) border agency Frontex has accused major charities of colluding with criminal gangs to bring migrants into Europe.
Frontex put its concerns about charities working in the Mediterranean in a confidential report written last month, and seen by the Financial Times. The document said migrants had been given “clear indications before departure on the precise direction to be followed in order to reach the NGOs’ boats.”
Frontex was more explicit in its concern over non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the Mediterranean in another report last week, which stated: “First reported case where the criminal networks were smuggling migrants directly on an NGO vessel.”
The border agency also said migrants rescued by charities’ boats often refused to cooperate with debriefing experts, with some claiming “that they were warned [by NGOs] not to co-operate with Italian law enforcement or Frontex”.
And, this is stunning! There are allegations that the money being pocketed by people smugglers is actually going to the Islamic State!
In September, the head of Austria’s anti-human trafficking force warned that much of the profit of people smugglers in the Middle East and North Africa goes to Islamic State, and is now the terror group’s primary source of funding.
I will bet a buck that US NGOs are also in communication with networks bringing Somalis and Middle Easterners to our southern border (where asylum lawyers wait for them!) and I suggested in a post in 2011 that Congress investigate that possibility. Still waiting! How many in those nearly 6 years since I wrote that post have gotten in across our borders?
Malta operation….
Some of the illegal aliens (like those in the photo above) who reach the Mediterranean island nation of Malta are being shipped off to your US towns!
I’ve been writing about this likely illegal action by the US State Department ever since the Bush Administration began this practice. Each year we take hundreds of the boat people who get to Malta—a safe European country!—to America as refugees.It is sheer insanity as there is no way these boat migrants launching from Libya and elsewhere in Africa have any documentation or any other way of screening them (other than we apparently believe their personal stories)!
To prove my point, I checked Wrapsnet.org processing country map and data for the first two months of FY2017. See it here. Look at this, we processed in to the US 101 (85 cases indicates most were single refugees—men of course) from a safe European country. Why are these illegal alien boat people our problem?
This is only one page of the data on processing countries. We don’t know which nationalities are getting in through each of these processing locations. From past news reports I know that many being shipped to America from Malta are Somalis. Information on all nationalities entering the US from each processing center should be made public.
I’ve done a books-worth of research on Malta, click here, for ambitious readers. And, I am not going to stop reporting on the outrage until someone in Congress notices and begins an investigation! Or, Donald Trump kills whatever ‘deal’ we made with Malta/the EU to take excess illegal migrants off their hands!
For all of our ‘Invasion of Europe’ news go here.
![rpcLogoSmall [Converted]](https://refugeeresettlementwatch.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/rpclogosmaller1.jpg)
I’ve mentioned ‘processing countries’ from time to time over the years with a special animus for the program (initiated during the Bush Admin) to bring ‘refugees’ in to the US from 
