The letter to the President was spearheaded by Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga and was clearly written with the aid of refugee industry lobbyists*** because it contains the language I see everywhere coming out of places like the Refugee Council USA and the federal resettlement contractors who depend on federal dollars for their supposed charitable work.
Claiming they fear we aren’t protecting enough people experiencing religious persecution they list wholly Muslim countries like Somalia and Afghanistan whose nationals they say we must admit.
But, there is not one word about persecuted Christians, which might have made their appeal to the President understandable at least.
Any day now the President will decide if the number for FY2020 will be 18,000, see here.
Below is Huizenga’s press release and the letter in its entirety.
Is your Republican member of Congress pressing the President for MORE third worlders for your Congressional District?
Huizenga: The Trump Administration Should Reconsider its Position on Refugee Resettlement
On Friday, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) sent a letter, with 16 of his Republican colleagues, to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regarding the need for the United States to continue to open its doors to refugees displaced by conflict and facing religious persecution. The letter is in response to the Trump Administration recently announcing its plan to reduce the number of refugees admitted to the United States to a record-low level of 18,000 people.
“America cannot lead from behind on the issue of religious persecution and refugee resettlement,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “West Michigan has a long standing tradition of opening its doors to those facing persecution as well as welcoming individuals who have been displaced because of armed conflict. Whether it is our faith-based institutions, non-profit organizations, or individuals within the community, West Michigan continues to set an example Washington could learn from. The Trump Administration should reconsider its position.”
The letter is available below.
Dear Secretary Pompeo:
Since our nation’s founding, the United States has served as a beacon of hope to those suffering from oppression and conflict across the globe. The Statute of Liberty perfectly encapsulates our outstretched hand, accepting the world’s huddled masses who yearn to be free. As the world continues to face an overwhelming refugee crisis, we respectfully urge you to uphold our nation’s commitment to assist individuals who have been displaced by violence and strife.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are approximately 20 million refugees worldwide with more than 50 percent being children. Among those, roughly eight million refugees are from Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Additionally, another 37,000 people are forced to flee their homes every day due to conflict and persecution in their home countries.
Continued U.S. leadership is critical in addressing ongoing humanitarian crises caused by civil war and persecution and in assisting displaced persons. One area where America can lead is by creating and protecting de-escalation zones near war-torn countries and providing humanitarian assistance to people in need. We must also continue to accept and care for refugees here in America.
In our communities throughout the country, there is a long history of opening doors to assist refugees. Local leaders, faith groups, and businesses have come together to create an environment where refugees are welcomed and receive the services necessary to learn English, find employment, and become part of the fabric of their new communities.
As such, we urge you to maintain the United States’ longstanding commitment to assist refugees with a special focus on assisting individuals hailing from nations facing the worst conditions possible. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Representatives who signed the letter led by Ken Buck (CO) include: Fred Upton (MI), Susan W. Brooks (IN), John Curtis (UT), Scott Tipton (CO), Doug Lamborn (CO), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Steve Stivers (OH), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA), John Katko (NY), Dan Newhouse (WA), Rob Woodall (GA), Chris Stewart (UT), and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL).
In July, Congressman Huizenga spoke out against eliminating the refugee resettlement program when reports circulated that the Trump Administration was considering such a proposal.
If you live in the district of one of those members and disagree with their pressuring the President, you need to let your representative know.
When they sign letters like this they assume it is a freebie for them. They will get brownie points from Open Borders Inc. and suffer no down side.
It is your job to be sure they know there is a downside. You could write a letter to your local paper critical of their stance on refugees. Be sure to attend town halls when they are home campaigning so you can ask them in public to defend their position on refugees.
Maybe ask them why you, the taxpayers, are paying for it all but have no say in where they will be placed, and most importantly ask why we aren’t taking care of our own vulnerable Americans first!
*** A final comment on the subject of lobbyists. The refugee industry has lobbyists galore. Not just the Refugee Council USA but every one of the nine contractors has either formal lobbyists (Catholic Bishops and Lutherans for example) and informal lobbyists who help identify soft touches on the refugee program.
Some one, or several, draft a letter like this, and it is the lobbyist working with their principle author, in this case Huzienga staffers, who run around Capitol Hill with the draft letter to get co-signers. It might require reaching back to the district to get some influential church group, interfaith group, Chamber of Commerce types who then also call the member to encourage their support for the letter.
Those of us who want to see the US Refugee Admissions program slowed, reformed or dumped outright have no lobbyist on the Hill!
I vote for a NEGATIVE number and deporting all of those who have been brought in during the last 30 years, illegally under our Constitution. Nothing in the U.S. Constitution authorizes any temporary federal administration to take my family’s money by coercion, through the IRS, and give it to foreigners! For any who bothered to obtain U.S. “citizenship” during that time, it should be revoked in conjunction with their deportation. The temporary administrations in Washington D.C. are not authorized to sell our American citizenship so cheaply (as a free ride on the taxpayers)!
Secondly, we don’t need or want an 800 million population in the United States. Our roads are crowded already and our infrastructure is breaking down. There is no empty prairie land being given away for homesteading. These billions of dollars spent on so-called “refugees” should either be spent on AMERICANS (and especially our own veterans, including homeless vets) or taken out of the national budget completely and used to pay down the $21 trillion national debt.
In my state, large areas literally have a declared affordable housing shortage for American citizens, yet the “refugees” are being brought in and given a FREE apartment at taxpayer expense! Voters should RECALL and FIRE every congressman or -woman who squanders our tax money this way!
Jim, You are right. We must keep pounding the message that Americans come first! It is a message everyone understands.
I agree completely! Stop bringing anyone into this country until we get our healthcare system and infrastructure fixed, and care for our veterans and mentally ill citizens. Deport everyone who is here illegally. NOW!
If these representatives want to take these 18,000 people to their house and take care of them , have at it. The taxpayer is tired of this crap .
I hope everyone is telling their elected officials to take care of Americans first!
We want no illegals, no refugees, no amnesty seekers, no visa overstay. We are full, California has to shut the electric down because they keep letting people in. They are worried about the environment and climate change, what the heck do they think is causing that, too many people. Also shit in the streets is washing into the ocean. Many illegals have been accused of sitting fires and we really need any of these people, please.
Where are the CHRISTIAN REFUGEES WHO ARE BEING KILLED BY THE SAME RELIGION YOU WANT IMMIGRATED TO OUR COUNTRY????
Why so we can have the mess we have coming out of Omar in Minn. and Dearborn Maine their pushing for laws not in our constitution
That’s Michigan not main stupid word spell like spell it!
The illegals come over here and killed a sixteen year old and gang up on American’s and that’s okay.l think not.l fell we should take care of our elderly that put their lives in to makeing America strong and our service men and women raises instead of Congress getting a raise l feel none of them deserve a raise except with a boot in the butt.I say we don’t need any more of this craziness from those that want to distory America and tried of working to support the illegals that don’t belong here. Thank You,