Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto refused to meet the President yesterday

10/31/2018 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Surely you know all about Democrat Mayor Bill Peduto shunning the President and his family when they went to Pittsburgh yesterday to pay their respects to those murdered in the synagogue attack last Saturday. Here is one of many stories about the Mayor’s snub.

And, here is Peduto with Chris Matthews:

By the way, the Rabbi, who was leading services on Saturday when the attack happened, welcomed the President saying “he is my President.”

So, what does this have to do with RRW?

Let’s take a trip down memory lane!

Mayor Bill Peduto was one of 18 mayors who signed a 2015 letter to then President Obama telling the President that 10,000 Syrian refugees for America in the upcoming fiscal year was too few and they wanted Obama to ultimately admit 100,000.

The letter was organized by Cities for Action which says it is: “A coalition of city governments who stand in support of stronger cities through immigration action.”

As you know, President Trump is permitting very few Syrians to enter the US at the present time.

If you missed it in 2015, here are the 18 mayors pressing Obama for more Syrian refugees for their cities:

Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown, PA
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor of Baltimore, MD
Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston, MA
James Diossa, Mayor of Central Falls, RI
Mark Kleinschmidt, Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC
Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, IL
Edward Terry, Mayor of Clarkston, GA
Nan Whaley, Mayor of Dayton, OH
Domenick Stampone, Mayor of Haledon, NJ
Pedro E. Segarra, Mayor of Hartford, CT
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, CA
Betsy Hodges, Mayor of Minneapolis, MN
Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, NY
Jose Torres, Mayor of Paterson, NJ
William Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA
Javier Gonzales, Mayor of Santa Fe, NM
Francis G. Slay, Mayor of St. Louis, MO
Stephanie A. Miner, Mayor of Syracuse, NY

Some posts on that campaign by the leftwing open-borders mayors, especially Pittsburgh’s Mayor Peduto, worth revisiting:

18 US Mayors tell Obama: We want MORE Syrian (Muslim) refugees!

Pittsburgh letter writer: Mayor is wrong to invite Syrian refugees to city

ACT for America launches citizen action campaign urging 18 mayors to re-think their demand for more Syrian refugees

Pittsburgh, PA Mayor Peduto: Bring us Syrian Muslims!

And, a few additional posts on Pittsburgh:

Pittsburgh: Jewish agency and Islamic Center working together to bring more Syrians to the city

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial: Are there holes in US refugee vetting process?

Pittsburgh: Refugees placed in dangerous housing complex….

Jewish refugee resettlement agency: Let’s bring Rohingya Muslims to Pittsburgh (to increase diversity!)

Pittsburgh at “tipping point” as refugee population mushrooms

Pittsburgh working hard to “welcome” refugees

Pittsburgh: World Refugee Day brought out the diversity, but few Americans

Pittsburgh Catholic Bishop defends Catholic Charities and calls a meeting

And, there are more, but you get the idea!

A comment on commenting

10/31/2018 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I know things are tense as we head into the final week before the midterm elections, but if you want to comment here at RRW, you gotta tone it down.

Many of you are new readers, so you don’t know about my policy regarding comments. I have a few rules. First, no threats of violence to anyone. No foul language. And, no attacking another commenter personally. You can attack their ideas and opinions, but not the person.

Frankly, if you can’t make your point with a good argument, attacking someone personally only makes you and your opinion look weak.

I moderate comments when I have time, so you may not see yours posted immediately.

And, I apologize, I had a look at RRW’s spam folder the other day and see that wordpress has been sending some of you, even long-time commenters, to spam for no apparent reason. I’ll check that more often.

One last thing, if you write a book or send many links, I might have to not post your comment. I don’t have time to open each link to check what you are sending, and no one reads long comments anyway.

If you have something long (under 600 words!) and think readers here would find it useful (on topic!) then send it as a comment with a note asking me to consider it as a guest column.

Thanks as always for visiting RRW!

UN to Trump: You must let them in!

10/29/2018 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Here we go again!

The United Nations is demanding that we follow international law and let those fleeing violence in their Central American countries (not a criteria for granting asylum) into the US. What happened with that supposed effort to tell Mexico to grant them asylum—that is what international law says!

The first safe country asylum seekers reach is where they must ask for asylum.

Clearly the UN is endorsing the concept of “asylum shopping” a term used around the world where migrants are on the hunt for their best deal.

But, you know all of that.

The caravan is an anti-Trump public relations stunt in the run-up to the midterm elections and it seems the whole world is in on it.

Here is Voice of America (with a photo of the starving mass of humanity!):

UN: Countries Must Allow People at Risk to Request Asylum

migrant caravan sleepers — If VOA was trying to get sympathy for the marchers, this photo is a poor choice! Just saying!

GENEVA —
The U.N. refugee agency is urging Washington to allow people fleeing persecution and violence, including those who are traveling with the Central American caravan, to request asylum on U.S. territory.

U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to prevent a caravan of thousands of immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador from entering the United States. The Pentagon has announced plans to send hundreds of troops to the border in what is described as a support role.

The U.N. refugee agency will not weigh in on whether it is legal for a country to close its borders to refugees and asylum seekers. But it says international law clearly states any person whose life may be in danger has the right to seek asylum and benefit from international protection.

What you see happening with gobbledygook in that previous paragraph is a strategy to make you think that every person on the move anywhere is a legitimate refugee. We aren’t there yet, but the UN is driving public opinion in that direction.

There has to be a reason for “danger,” generalized danger is not a reason for granting asylum. To be granted asylum a person must prove that he or she would be persecuted for race, religion, political views if returned to one’s home country. Running from gang violence or poor job prospects does not make someone a refugee!

UN spokesman Andrej Mahecic says there are security risks for the migrants as they travel through Mexico. Well gee, is that our problem? The UN can simply and easily get them back to their homes. (If they were really that concerned.)

“Our position globally is that the individuals who are fleeing persecution and violence need to be given access to territory and protection including refugee status and determination procedure. And, if the people who are fleeing persecution and violence enter Mexico, they need to be provided access to the Mexican asylum system and those entering the United States need to be provided access to the American asylum system,” he said.

But to get to the US they must pass through Mexico!

So that (above) tells me that any migrant caravan marchers who didn’t ask for asylum in Mexico when they crossed in to that country are admitting they aren’t asylum seekers after all.

Hence when they reach the US border they will all be illegal aliens and we can keep them out!

Mahecic keeps trying to send his message:

He said it is urgent to stabilize the situation, to provide proper reception and to improve basic conditions for people on the move. In regard to people seeking asylum, he says their international protection needs must be properly assessed before any decision is taken on their return or deportation.

More here.

Remember that Mahecic and his bosses are trying to drive public opinion world wide to their view that migration is a human right. If they succeed then obviously that spells the end of the concept of national sovereignty.

Trump’s America First! message is completely antithetical to the UN’s objective, thus their on-going effort to destroy him.

Don’t you just feel like telling the UN to shut up! Of course, using only non-violent means by cutting off their funds entirely!

Trump has a plan to stop the migrant caravan, will announce Tuesday

10/28/2018 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I have to say: this is the newest news I’m seeing. Since the whole issue is in flux (and perhaps more so after the shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh where we heard the shooter may have been angry over the caravan as well as HIAS’s role in it), things could change any minute.

Screenshot (1502) — Ready or not, here we come! Photo: Time magazine http://time.com/5435748/border-patrol-wont-shoot-caravan-kirstjen-nielsen/

But, here is what Neil Munro reported at Breitbart yesterday:

WashPo: Trump Will Announce Anti-Caravan Plan on Tuesday

President Donald Trump will announce Tuesday how he will use his extraordinary powers over legal immigration to block the caravan and other asylum-seeking economic migrants, according to the Washington Post.

“A draft of the proposal reviewed by The Washington Post says the president can use his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare certain migrants ineligible for asylum for national security reasons,” the Post reported.

The little-used powers are in Section 212(f) of U.S. law, at 8 U.S. Code § 1182:

Suspension of entry or imposition of restrictions by President

Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.

But pro-migration advocates say that 212(f) clause cannot stop illegal migrants from jumping over the border wall into the United States and then use U.S. and international law to apply for asylum.

These advocates say migrants — even those with invalid cases — are protected by the constitution’s Fith Amendment once they get onto U.S. territory. The clause — “No person shall be … deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” — allows migrants to get court hearings, despite Presidential opposition, the advocates say.

However, U.S. law does not require that asylum applicants be allowed to stay in the United States while their legal claims are considered by the courts, countered Christopher Hajec, the litigation director for the Immigration Law Reform Institute.

President Trump has the legal authority to deport classes of migrants to an outside location where they can safely live until their appeals are heard, he said. Migrants would be allowed to appeal for asylum in court cases conducted via video, he told Breitbart News. “Some might get asylum,” he added.

Much more here.

Remember readers that asylum is the other side of the refugee coin. The only difference is the means of getting here.

If we fly them they are called refugees, if they get here on their own steam they must apply for asylum (refugee status). Then, if the migrant is granted asylum, he/she gets the benefits that refugees we transport here receive.

Pennsylvania synagogue killer was angry about the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society…

10/28/2018 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

….and he didn’t like Trump either.

Editor: First, let me be clear. Nothing in this post is meant in any way to suggest that we condone this horrific act of violence against innocent people. This was a vile act by someone whose hatred of Jews was so great that he had obviously abandoned all reason and we condemn it.

Here is Reuters:

UPDATE 1-Who is Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect?

Two hours before a gunman burst into the Tree of Life synagogue and opened fire during a Shabbat religious service, Bowers posted on chat site Gab.com about the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), a non-profit that helps Jewish refugees relocate to the United States.

“HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in,” wrote Bowers, a heavy-set, white male.

[….]

Bowers, who is a registered voter with “no affiliation” in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, took aim in one post at U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of being a “globalist” who did nothing to stop the “infestation” of the United States by Jews.

“For the record, I did not vote for him nor have I owned, worn or even touched a MAGA hat,” he wrote.

More here.

Just so you know, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (rebranded as HIAS a few years ago), resettles very few Jews. As a federal resettlement contractor, it resettles refugees assigned to it by the US State Department from all of the usual hot spots around the world.

Screenshot (765) — Charity Navigator reports that in 2016, HIAS was 58.5% funded by government grants mostly to resettle refugees. https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3820

Curious to see how many Jewish people have been admitted to the US as refugees over the last ten years, I checked Wrapsnet.

In ten years the US admitted a total of 635,173 refugees representing a vast array of religions from all over the world.

Of that number only 1,893 (.3%) were of the Jewish faith with most of those coming from Iran(658) and Russia(545).

However….

HIAS has put itself out as the most politically active refugee resettlement agency making them not hard to miss on the internet!

Indeed, according to media reports (assuming they are accurate!), what drew the killer to a target was HIAS’s e-mail advertisement for their special services called National Refugee Shabbat held in hundreds of synagogues in the run-up to the November election.

As readers here know, there are nine federal resettlement contractors*** and based on my informal assessment going back several years, HIAS is the most politically active of the resettlement contractors and has been dogging Donald Trump unrelentingly since the 2016 Presidential campaign.

Hetfield at NY protest — HIAS CEO Mark Hetfield at 2017 pro-refugee/anti-Trump rally in New York.

Not far behind as open borders political organizers and activists, I would put Church World Service and then the US Conference of Catholic Bishops/Catholic Charities.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is also very politically engaged.

Free speech!

They don’t just advocate for refugees!

I think we all agree everyone is entitled to free speech, and HIAS can demonstrate in the streets against the President and for open borders, they can sue the Administration, they can cheer on the migrant caravan and they can campaign against Republicans in the midterms, but what is so patently unfair to the average citizen who is learning about their community organizing activities (from alternative media) is that they receive millions and millions of taxpayer dollars each year while promoting a political agenda that many Americans vehemently disagree with.

If they were truly a private non-profit organization, they could pay big salaries and politically organize to their hearts content, but when they are a government partner, ostensibly to care for refugees, we expect them to be neutral on what is the greatest concern facing the country now—-immigration.

Where is Congress?

The mainstream media rarely tells the public about the source of the resettlement contractors’ funds, and Congress has never, in the ten years I’ve followed the US Refugee Admissions Program, ever done any oversight of the federal contracting system that these nine have monopolized, in some cases for over three decades.

Funding the Open Borders Left!

See just for starters this graph from the Capital Research Center showing the last ten years of taxpayer dollars subsidizing the nine VOLAGS.

simpson-table-2 — HIAS is in column 4 under VOLAGs. $186 million from the US Treasury in ten years. I think you can see that many of these refugee agencies involved in political activities could not survive without your tax dollars.

Again, there is no excuse for violence, but there is great frustration out there that a serious effort to be more open and transparent with the public might begin to quell.

So, how about the mainstream media does its job and gives the public the facts about groups like HIAS so ‘conspiracy’ theories don’t develop, and then it would be refreshing if Congress took its role seriously, investigated where our tax dollars are going and what they are being used for, and thus give us confidence that our government cares about us—Americans first!

I’ll update this post as we get more information.

*** The nine major contractors (VOLAGS) that monopolize the US Refugee Admissions Program are these:

Church World Service (CWS)
Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) (secular)
Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) (DFMS is its other name)
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
International Rescue Committee (IRC) (secular)
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) (secular)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
World Relief Corporation (WR)

Category: Refugee Resettlement Program