The Refugee Council USA is the lobbying arm for the refugee contractors who might have to protect their non-profit status and their lucrative contracts from charges that they are lobbying Congress for themselves. News hat tip: Joanne.
If you were thinking ‘why bother’ sending comments to the US State Department and to your US Senators and Members of Congress for the fiscal year 2015 refugee plans (here), please, think again in light of the the fact that the “advocates” are really ginning-up this year for a big push!
I believe they have figured out that “pockets of resistance” are forming in cities and towns across America and they must now push Congress harder for what they want!
Before we give you their latest “advocacy” campaign for the week of June 2-6 in advance of World Refugee Day (June 20th), here are the members of RCUSA (the nine major federal contractors are in red, they get almost all of their funding from US taxpayers!):
- Asylum Access
- Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)
- Center for Victims of Torture
- Church World Service/Immigration and Refugee Program
- Episcopal Migration Ministries
- Ethiopian Community Development Council
- Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
- Human Rights First
- International Catholic Migration Commission
- International Rescue Committee
- Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project
- Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
- Jubilee Campaign USA
- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
- ORAM- Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration
- RefugePoint
- Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
- U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
- WorldRelief
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration & Refugee Services
Here is what they say on their “advocacy” (community organizing) page of their website about World Refugee Day advance work:
As we mark World Refugee Day on June 20, we invite you to join us in celebrating refugees’ courage in overcoming adversity and the many gifts they bring to our communities across the United States.
Together we can raise awareness about the need for improved policies and services to help refugees rebuild their lives in the United States. This year, we have designated June 2-6 as National Refugee Advocacy Week. Here are some actions you can take to help refugees in your community that week.
~Invite a policymaker to a World Refugee Day event in your area.
~Organize an in-district meeting with your members of Congress. Your Senators and Representatives will be in their local offices June 2-6, making it a great opportunity to meet with them to discuss important refugee policy and funding issues. Introduce them to a refugee!
~Call Congress to support refugee funding and legislation – and get others to join you
~Write a letter to your members of Congress encouraging support for refugees
For resources on how to carry out these advocacy action items and more advocacy ideas and tips, check out the Refugee Council USA’s 2014 World Refugee Day Advocacy Toolkit.
The toolkit is a great resource for you too! Learn about the bills they are promoting and the committees they are aiming their lobbying toward.
One of the Leftists’ favorite techniques is to tell “stories” (sweet stories only of course) about refugees. I’m thinking ‘what the heck!’ that is what we (at RRW) do too—tell stories about the programs problems and its cost, and the not-so-sweet stories (crimes, national security, cultural clashes) about refugees as well.
Aim our “advocacy” for restraint for the week of May 26-30!
So since they are aiming to bombard Congress for more money and more refugees during the Week of June 2-6, let’s aim our advocacy for the week of May 26-30 (especially as the State Department comment period ends May 29th). Since RCUSA has lobbyists and money (some of it yours!) they will surely outnumber our comments and phone calls, but let’s at least muddy the waters for members of Congress!
Check out our Ten Reasons for a Moratorium on Refugee Resettlement, here. We will be sending those to the US State Department, to Members of Congress and the Senate (especially to members of the key committees)!