Category: Reforms needed

No Wonder the Refugee Contractors are Sweating Trump Order!

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 3 Comments

We’ve been reporting daily (just scroll back and see what I mean!) about the President’s September Executive Order that requires that refugees be placed in cities/counties where the elected officials have said in writing that they welcome more refugees, or in the case of new sites where the city or county wants a new site.

It is no wonder the federal resettlement contractors heads are exploding! They are going to have to work really hard to get their federal boodle!

I’ve been wondering how they are going to accomplish this goal by a deadline supposedly later this month.

In fact, I’ve been seeing a reference to a June 1 date that had me scratching my head. What happens then?

This morning, I opened my alerts to yet another sob story about how refugee families are suffering because they were expecting to bring their whole families here soon and now face a longer wait because of that meany in the White House.

The story is this one from Missoula, Montana—which hosts a very new resettlement site operated by the filthy rich International Rescue Committee.***

(I mentioned it here just last week!)

Today’s story is here:

‘You pray, you pray’: Trump refugee cap places strain on Missoula families

It contains many column inches of stories the Left loves to tell—the stories that count on moving people emotionally. But, it also contained this brief paragraph:

Trump also signed an executive order, set to take effect next summer, that requires resettlement agencies like Missoula’s IRC to obtain state and local government consent before accepting more refugees.

So what is that all about?

There must be guidance published somewhere on how the Executive Order is to be implemented.

Sure enough, here it is and it is evident that the reason for the contractors hitting the panic button is that their FUNDING AFTER JUNE 1 IS TIED TO THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THE EXECUTIVE ORDER.

FY 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Reception and Placement Program

They must jump through a lot of hoops!  They have to explain how they involved the public in their decision making about who and how many they want to place in a community; they need to say how much private money they have collected toward the project; and of course must have letters from the governor AND the local elected officials apparently by Christmas.

The funding guidance mentions the 50-100 mile radius around each resettlement site that I referenced in my post yesterday.  If you missed it be sure to go back and see if you live near a site.

You are going to have to read the guidance yourself, and I’ll see what I can do to get a lawyer’s opinion on what appears to me to be a massive bureaucratic undertaking for the contractors. Boo hoo! It is about time they are being made accountable!

No wonder they are suing to stop the President!

Just so you know, I don’t think there can ever be real reform of the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program until this entire contracting system that relies on nine Leftwing ‘non-profits’ largely funded by taxpayers (and who hate the President!) to place refugees throughout America.

 

***Note to Montanans!  You must put pressure on your governor because you know the refugee industry there is mobilized!  Additionally, if Missoula is lost, see what you can do to put some political pressure on county government.

Is There a Refugee Resettlement Site Near You?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 7 Comments

Update! Be sure to see my post here as a followup—we found the instructions that the other side is using to help their people how to get mobilized.  You can use this too!

 

As I have been saying for days and weeks now, thanks to the President you will have an opportunity to have a say in whether refugees will be placed in your communities going forward.

The President heard your concerns and has taken an important step to rein-in the refugee contractors. It isn’t perfect, but it is up to you to speak up where you live. He has your back, do you have his?

I have a lot more details for you about how it will work and how the nine federal contractors are trying to stop the President’s Executive Order, but first you need to know where the major resettlement sites are in the nation.

But, never forget these points!

The contractors have been placing refugees in a 50-100 mile radius of their offices. Don’t think you are off the hook if your city isn’t on the map.

See Virginia for example.  They have less than ten main refugee contractor offices, but have placed refugees over the last ten years across the entire state.

(In my next post you will see why the 50-100 mile radius is important.)

Also, the new requirements allow them to place new arriving family members with their spouse and children, and you can’t control that.

And, most importantly, refugees can move! There is nothing to say they can not simply move to the next town or next state and there is nothing you can do about that either.

At this point you are likely saying, why bring any?  Get Trump re-elected and maybe he will be able to do more!

In the meantime….

Here is the State Department’s 2019 Affiliate Map.

I’ve chopped it up so that I could enlarge the text. In case I have edited the screenshot in the middle of a city, see it whole here.

Are you within 50-100 miles of an office?  If so, you must speak up now.

The refugee industry has pulled out all the stops to mobilize their supporters (they have well-established community organizing networks in each of these locations) to tell city/county elected officials that they want refugees and of course the governor must concur. (More on that in an upcoming post. No wonder the contractors are suing Trump!)

Six governors (so far) want more refugees.  I’ll be tracking them as I see news.  See my right hand side bar for the list so far.

This is the legend for the map.  These are the nine contractors, but they all have many subcontractors working under them.

We know there has never been a resettlement agency operating in Wyoming and that Hawaii only gets a handful in some years. West Virginia did have a resettlement office until recently.

Refugees have been placed in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama in recent years, including in 2019. But, the number is extremely low, so I am assuming they were family reunifications.

However, Oklahoma City does have a resettlement agency, so I’m not sure why it isn’t on the map.

Update!  I should have thought to look at the map for 2017 at the time Trump became the President.  Check out that map and see how many more resettlement sites were in operation at that time!  Yikes!  And, I remember that toward the end of the Obama administration, his State Department was looking at another 40 or so possible sites. Progress is being made!

Please note that this post is filed in my ‘Where to find information’ category.

Concord, NH Likely to Support More Refugees as Questions Remain about Trump Order

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 1 Comment

In the wake of the news I reported yesterday, that Republican Governor Chris Sununu has said NH wants more refugees assuming cities concur, Concord Mayor Jim Bouley says he will support the continued placement of impoverished third worlders in his city.

Concord’s Democrat Mayor Jim Bouley: “I see no reason why we would not sign it” (at December 9th council meeting)

That isn’t surprising, but what did surprise me in this article from the Concord Monitor is that apparently guidance has gone out to those in the refugee industry about a December 20th deadline when both a state governor and someone (?) at the city/county level are in agreement that refugees are welcome, and that welcome must be forwarded in writing to the Secretary of State.

I’ve been searching and have yet to find any such published guidance. However, in this post and a couple more to follow I’ll tell you what I have found that should help you to know what you must do where you live.

So far as we have noted, six governors are on board for more refugees: Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and now New Hampshire.  North Dakota’s governor took a wishy-washy position and said he will go along if his cities want more refugees.

Here is the Concord Monitor:

After Trump rule, Concord must opt-in to accept more refugees

For years, Concord has been a state leader in the acceptance of refugees, taking in more than any other New Hampshire city since 2010.

But whether that practice continues will require a sign-off from the city, following a new policy from President Donald Trump.

In an executive order issued in September, Trump required that both states and localities actively approve refugee resettlements moving forward. Without explicit written consent from both the state’s governor and the city or town, new outside refugees may not be housed in those cities, the order states – a change prompting outcry from refugee rights groups.

On Wednesday, Gov. Chris Sununu announced he had given that statewide consent, penning a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo granting permission for New Hampshire to accept refugees broadly. But he left it up to individual municipalities on how to proceed.

“With this action, it is now up to each city’s mayor whether they want to opt-in to accepting refugees,” Sununu said in a statement.

So far, I have been unable to find any published guidance referenced in this next line:

Now, the pressure is on. Cities and towns have until Dec. 20 to submit their letters of approval to accept resettlement of refugees, according to new guidance from the federal Health and Human Services department and the U.S. Secretary of State that follows the executive order. Sometime around Christmas, HHS will release a list of the states and municipalities that have done so, according to the order.

In an interview Friday, Concord Mayor Jim Bouley said he supports resettlement and that he’ll bring the question before the City Council at its Dec. 9 meeting.

“I see no reason why we would not sign it,” he said. “I think this only makes sense. So I look forward with the blessing of the council to sign it.”

I’m not the only one confused!

Meanwhile, as states and cities begin responding to the late December deadline, aspects of the new rule are in flux. Some refugee advocacy groups have called the executive order illegal, with the national Catholic Legal Immigration Network arguing it contravenes federal law giving the Office of Refugee Resettlement the authority to place refugees.

Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig is on board for more refugees and is just waiting for guidance about whether her whole council must sign off.

And the rules are silent on whether approval is necessary from select boards or city councils – or whether mayors can signal approval on their own prerogatives.

That uncertainty is creating some delays. Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig is supportive of continuing the acceptance of refugees, her office said Friday, but is seeking clarity on whether that move needs sign-off from the Queen City’s full city council.

More here.

Here is what I do know:  The refugee industry has filed suit to stop the Executive Order, see here.

But they are also hedging their bets in case they can’t get it stopped in time which is why they have gone all-in for a grassroots campaign (more in my next post) to pressure governors and mayors into saying they want more refugees.

As I noted here, they see their grassroots and media campaign as a win-win.  They can make Trump look bad, and at the same time force governors and local elected officials to go on record supporting more refugees. (They are looking ahead to the day when Trump is no longer in the White House and they expect the refugee spigot to open wide!)

And, although we see the Executive Order as flawed, you need to get moving and at least let your local elected officials (and governors) know that you are not in agreement with supporting more poor immigrants especially as there are plenty of vulnerable Americans in need of help.

If you remain silent then your elected officials will assume their position for more refugees will have no political cost to them.

And, if you are waiting for instructions from some immigration control organization, forget it!

Not sure if your town/city is already a resettlement site?  See the State Department’s map here.

 

Republican Governor Sununu Tells Trump: New Hampshire Welcomes More Refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 3 Comments

New Hampshire becomes the sixth state (that I know of) to tell the President that his/her state is all-in for more impoverished refugees.  You can bet the Open Borders agitators are joyful about another Republican governor (see Utah) telling the Prez that the state is open for more third worlders.

Most recently I told you about Virginia jumping on the bandwagon bringing the number to five at that point:  Pennsyvania, Washington, Oregon and Utah having expressed their desires earlier.  North Dakota Gov. Burgum’s response is frankly wishy-washy leaving us uncertain about where he stands.

I’m keeping a list of the governors who want to see refugees numbers increased in their states here at RRW in the right hand sidebar.

From US News:

Sununu Consents to Refugee Resettlement Following Exec Order

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has consented to receiving refugees at the state level, in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump that requires consultation with states and municipalities about the settlement of refugees in specific areas.

Is that an America First! sign behind Republican Governor Chris Sununu? Hmmmm!

Trump issued the order in September saying the federal government should resettle refugees only in those jurisdictions in which both the state and local governments have consented to receive refugees.

Sununu, a Republican, said Friday his administration will work closely with area agencies to ensure that those who are resettled in New Hampshire have the chance to become “hardworking members of our local communities.”

New Hampshire municipalities can now opt-in to accept refugees.

Because there are no guidelines available yet (that I know of) on how the President’s September Executive Order is supposed to work, it isn’t clear how your community will opt-in or out!

But, as you saw in my post two days ago, 88 mayors are declaring they are in!

Other than to satisfy their Leftwing constituents, these governors don’t need to be making any public declarations until some guidelines come from Washington.

So, it is up to you to let them know that this embrace of more refugees is not a political freebie for them.  There is a political cost to their declaration.

 

 

Church World Service, One of Three Federal Refugee Contractors Suing Trump Funded from US Treasury

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 1 Comment

Just like the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), Church World Service, representing some major churches in America,*** do not want you, taxpaying Americans, to have any say in which impoverished third worlders are placed in your towns and cities.

Read all about the lawsuit to put a roadblock before Trump’s September Executive Order that although far from perfect, at least acknowledges that heretofore you have had no say in the demographic future of America.

Nine contractors working with the US State Department make the decisions!

Church World Service CEO Rev. John L. McCullough (far left) was arrested along with CAIR’s Nihad Awad on the Capitol steps last month. https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/2019/10/13/cair-church-world-service-others-plan-civil-disobedience-at-us-capitol-this-week/

 

As promised yesterday I’ve had a little look into Church World Service’s finances and say once again, if they were a true religious charity, not receiving any taxpayer dollars, we would have no quibble with the sources of their money, or how they spend it.

However, in the case of CWS they are even more heavily funded by you and me than is HIAS and so we have a right to know how our money is being used.  

As I said earlier today, tell your children to grow up to run ‘non-profit charities!’

CEO Rev. John McCullough pulled in over $1 million in compensation in just the last 4 years—lucrative work if you can get it!

Here is a run-down of CWS’s finances from their last four years of Form 990s filed with the IRS.

BTW, for new readers, it was CWS’s activities in my rural county in 2007 that ‘inspired’ me in my investigative work that has become my passion.

And, you should know that CWS also advocates for Open Borders for illegal aliens. (See right)

2015 (Obama year)

$50.1 million from government grants

$25.1 million from other sources of income

Total income: $77.8 million (other smaller sources of income included)(Conservatively 64% federally funded because some of their other smaller amounts of income are from taxpayers too.)

$27 million passed through to other organizations

$16.3 million paid in salaries (salaries do not include other payroll expenses)

$316,714 CEO (McCullough) compensation (includes other compensation from the organization and other related compensation)

 

2016 (Obama’s top refugee ‘welcoming’ year)

$61.3 million from government grants

$24.7 million from other sources of income

Total income: $88.5 million (69% federally funded.)

$29.5 million passed through to other organizations

$15.5 million paid in salaries

$333,626 CEO (McCullough) compensation

 

2017 (Trump takes over 3 and 1/2 month into the fiscal year)

$68.4 million from government grants

$24.6 million from other sources of income

Total income: $95.8 million (71% federally funded)

$41 million passed through to other organizations

$16.3 million paid in salaries

$345,366 CEO (McCullough) compensation

 

2018 (Trump year)

$39.3 million from government grants

$23.8 million from other sources of income

Total income: $66.1 million (60% federally funded.)

$20.9 million passed through to other organizations

$13.3 million paid in salaries

$353,220 CEO (McCullough) compensation

 

Interesting trend line!  Unlike HIAS whose budget is growing via private money under Trump, CWS’s is declining (sharply from 2017 to 2018, no wonder they are ticked off).

However, despite the wailing when Trump came in, CWS had an exceptional year in 2017 when it was 71% federally funded.

But the best fun fact is that as the organization’s resources declined in 2018 (closed offices and reduced staff), the Reverend McCullough’s compensation continued an upward climb.  Hmmmm!  Doing well by doing good!

*** Find out if your church is a member congregation of CWS, see here.