Here is one more whiny opinion piece by a Catholic ‘leader’ about the Obama Administration order that says if you get federal money, you have to offer abortion services. That puts the US Conference of Catholic Bishops between a rock and a hard place doesn’t it? They can’t take care of the ‘unaccompanied alien children’ they have been paid for years to shelter, unless they provide access to abortions.
It is a very simple concept that every one of these Catholic writers try very hard to muddy the waters on: If you take Caesar’s money, you have to follow Caesar’s rules!
From Catholic News Service where author John Garvey starts out with a little sobbing for the “children.”
John Garvey is the president of The Catholic University of America in Washington.
Last year a crisis unfolded as thousands of children, some as young as 6, made their way alone from their Central American home countries and attempted a dangerous crossing into the United States. Many little ones died lonely deaths in the desert. Thousands were fortunately rescued by federal authorities and now fall under our government’s care.
It’s an open question whether — or how many — of these children should stay, but they are children. The federal government cannot simply house them in prisons. It must find ways to occupy them constructively — to educate them, even — while they await final disposition of their court cases.
Uncle Sam outsourced this work, as he often does, to the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services*** and other experienced refugee organizations, some of which are faith-based. That made sense. [Outsourced is, of course, a nice way of saying the feds PAY us!—ed]
But on Christmas Eve (presumably to avoid attention), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published an interim final rule that could disrupt this arrangement. It is designed to guarantee abortion access for minors in this precarious position, on the off chance that any of them might have become pregnant as a result of having been sexually abused.
[….]
“This,” the coalition of Christian groups wrote, “will have the effect of disqualifying our organizations from being primary grantees, the very organizations that have the most experience in providing services to unaccompanied minors and are best qualified to serve as grantees. Such a discriminatory effect would immediately work to the detriment of the children who are the intended beneficiaries of the program.” [It is all for the “children” except that it isn’t, it is about the Bishops’ money!—ed]
*** We examined the USCCB’s Migration Fund hereand learned that the majority (98%!) of their millions and millions of dollars each year comes from you—the US taxpayer! Of course Catholics are free to care for migrant children, refugees and immigrants generally with their own private charity and thus not have this rule, that flies in the face of their supposed religious beliefs (from the guy the majority of Catholics voted for) dictating what they do.
But, alas in order to hold on to their principles, they would have to dig into their own private pockets instead of stealing from the taxpayer.
Last week the brave and indefatigable Senator Jeff Sessions held a hearing in his Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, about Obama’s new refugee program for Central American Minors (CAM) program.
Once again, Obama is writing immigration law from the White House as he colonizes your towns with “new” Americans.
For those of you wanting to understand how this already-launched Obama “refugee” resettlement plan works, see this important testimonypresented by Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studieslast week.
Once the Central American “children” are deemed refugees, then what is to stop every poor country in the world from demanding that their children are given the same advantage and designated refugees as well?
Here (below) is how she begins (and a few snips follow). Perhaps the most important bit you should understand is that the “children” streaming across our southern border, or those still at home in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are NOT refugees by the internationally understood definition of what does make one a refugee—they must first prove that they are PERSECUTED for one of several reasons.
Obama is changing (broadening!) the definition of ‘refugee’ in such a way that anyone in the world could call themselves a refugee if they need a job and have crime in their country and for those reasons demand entrance into the US. This CAM program is the proverbial camel getting its nose under the tent!
And, one important reason Obama wants the “children” designated as refugees (besides the simple flooding of America with potential new voters for the Dems because refugees can move quickly to citizenship) is that all of the welfare goodies available to Americans will be available to them as well upon arrival.
Vaughan calls the Obama plan a “rogue” refugee program (emphasis is mine):
Jessica Vaughn, Director of Policy Studies, Center for Immigration Studies. http://cis.org/Vaughan
Thank you, Chairman Sessions and Ranking Member Schumer, for the opportunity to testify on the new Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee/Parole Program, and the impact this controversial program will have on American communities. Both the CAM Program and the Haitian Family Reunification Program (HFRP), a similarly problematic endeavor, are dramatic departures from existing law and policy on the admission of refugees, grants of parole, and the family reunification process established by Congress. The criteria for participating in the program differ significantly from what the law stipulates for refugees and parolees. The programs have been presented to the public in a deceptive way, perhaps in an effort to avoid public criticism for what are plainly unlawful, unprecedented, and costly schemes. These programs are an egregious abuse of executive authority; perhaps with good intentions, but that is no substitute for the law. Worst of all, there is no indication that either program can succeed in achieving the stated goal of deterring people from contracting with criminal smuggling organizations to bring their family members to the United States. The result will be a continued erosion of the integrity of immigration law, exploding costs for taxpayers, needless public safety problems, and continued illegal immigration from this part of the world.
[….]
The clear focus of the program is on family reunification, not escaping persecution, which is the legal basis for U.S. and international refugee programs. The stated goal is to provide an alternative to traditional – and dangerous – pathways of illegal migration to the United States to join family members who migrated earlier. The existence of persecution is not mentioned in the statement, nor in other official explanations about the CAM program.
[….]
….government and news media reports all indicate that the main reason for the influx of juveniles from Central America is not rampant or particularlized persecution, but to join family members who are already living here, to escape difficult living conditions, and because Obama administration policies allow it.
[….]
While the problems of violence, poverty and lack of opportunity in Central America are real and pervasive, and we cannot be oblivious to them, Congress wisely has not recognized these conditions as appropriate grounds for refugee status. If it had, then much of the world could demand resettlement, including many in the United States.
Keep in mind that the ‘parents’ supposedly lawfully present in the US, who must apply for their kids to enter, are in most cases here in some form of temporary legal status, but once the ‘kid’ becomes a refugee, who would ever throw out the Moms and Pops? In other words, the kid will anchor the family!
There is much,much, more and I urge you to readit so that you know that a few thousand more ‘kids’ coming in as refugees is not the issue. A more significant impact than the modest numbers of CAMs (which might seem insignificant in the overall scheme of things) is that Obama is changing refugee law!
One final note, especially galling to me is the fact that processing the ‘kids’ into the country will be up to the refugee subcontractors,list here. And, surely they will be getting more of your hard-earned dollars to do the paperwork!
For new readers, we have an extensive archive on the so-called “Unaccompanied minors” going back several years, here.
That’s a question I think about from time to time. I happen to think Islam is using the political Left, or no, more precisely, I believe that Islam will destroy the Left the first chance it gets, no matter which side is the number one user right now.
However, LOL!, I don’t spend too much time thinking about it because then one gets nothing done to try to stop them both!
Writing at American Thinker, J. Robert Smith attacks the conundrum in his thoughtful piece entitled: ‘Where the Left and Islam Intersect.’
In the name of Islam, ISIS fighters throw a gay man to his death from a rooftop. Why the silence from the Left? Why doesn’t the Left get it? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2914785/Thrown-death-gay-s-latest-abomination-one-expert-argues-images-betray-radical-Muslims-new-thirst-killing-justice.html
I’ve snipped a bit, but please read the whole thing. Emphasis below is mine:
Curious how the godless left and Islam share a critical aim. They both wish to subjugate infidels, though how infidel is defined differs. But who the infidels are isn’t. We are, of course, the infidels. We of western virtues and values. We who hold to Judeo-Christian beliefs. We’re obstacles to glorious futures for both. Both want us consigned to dhimmitude. Yes, dhimmitude. That’s second class status, with tribute being paid for the privilege.
Marked differences and tensions exist between the left and Islam, to be sure. But is the left using Islam for its ends, and Islam — for the time being — willingly being used?
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
Today,… it isn’t just Western capitalism that the left wants Islam to sic. It’s the totality of Western Civilization. Leftism has expanded its agenda beyond Marx-focused economics. For the left to get us to dhimmitude, that means “deconstructing” our culture and society; upending our mores and traditions; shattering our institutions; demeaning faith and marginalizing the faithful.Its gains are evident all around us.
From Marx onward, the left has operated by a simple rule vis-à-vis Islam: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
[….]
Most Americans have a hard time accepting that fellow citizens might knowingly act in ways injurious to the security and welfare of the nation. The 20th Century had more than a few Americans who worked to advance communism in opposition to vital national interests. In extreme cases, some Americans acted treasonously. Do the names Julius and Ethel Rosenberg ring a bell? How about Alger Hiss?
[….]
Not every American identifying with the left acts from malice. There are followers and fellow travelers. Your Aunt Jane may be a lefty, but she wouldn’t want harm to come to her country. There are gullible souls who think it’s all about Kumbaya. Spoken of here are leftist intellectuals, chattering classes, politicians, and career activists who either seek or welcome Islam’s role in “transforming” America and the West.
Immigration (Al-Hijra) = Infiltration
What’s in it for Muslims if they know they’re being used? Infiltration, for one. Western Europeans long ago opened their borders to Muslims. The need originally was labor. Western Europe’s elites — left-dominated — have, post-World War II, imported millions of Muslims. [Let me be clear, it isn’t just the Left looking for cheap labor here in America. Big businesses, like the meatpackers! and some Republicans are selling us out!—ed]
Fatal flaw in the Left’s thinking: that they will control Islam, discard it when they wish.
A fatal conceit exists on the left in its use of Islam. It’s this: leftists are in every way superior to Muslims. Islam, violent and useful, though dangerous, is primitive and no match for the great minds and godless certitudes of “progressivism.” Islam can be used and then dispensed with. But the left underestimates the power of an ancient faith — and its faithful — at its own peril.
This is one of those warm and fuzzy stories telling us about the joys of diversity in the midst of cowboy country. Frankly, it made me think it might already be too late to save our conservative values and American way of life. The newcomers are going to want their stuff, their government services, and the Democrats will be right there to give it to them. Why would any of them vote Republican?But, of course that is why our Republican leadership is looking more and more like Democrats these days!
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is a leader in turning a red state blue. https://www.catholiccharities.org/services/programs-refugee
This is a city of contrasts. It is a hub of first-rate medical institutions with almost one-fourth of its population uninsured. One of the nation’s most ethnically mixed metro areas and, at the same time, one of its most economically segregated. Routinely ranked top in the country for job growth, with a school system where 80 percent of students are disadvantaged.
An amalgam of promise and pitfalls.
It is also a region of dazzling diversity – and becoming more so every day.
More than 1 million immigrants – nearly one of every four residents – call Harris County and the surrounding 10-county metro area home.
From 2000 to 2010, Houston gained 400,000 foreign-born residents, more than any other U.S. city except New York. Last year, the county received 4,818 refugees from 40 different countries, the most of any county in Texas.
The newcomers have done more than shift our demographics. They have created a metropolis where one-third of business owners are foreign-born, where the number of Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus has tripled in the last three decades, where more than 100 languages are spoken by students attending Houston public schools.
Even in a nation where the number of immigrants has doubled since 1990, the Houston area stands apart.
So who is helping turn red states blue?
Four of the six US State Department resettlement contractors working in Houston represent the ‘religious’ Left and are divvying up the large and lucrative flow of refugees to Houston. From our handy list of contractorschanging your towns and cities:
CWS (Church World Service)
TX-CWS-01: Interfaith Ministries For Greater Houston
Address: 3303 Main Street
Houston, TX 77002-9322
Phone: 713-533-4940
DFMS (Episcopal Migration Ministries with its new name change)
TX-DFMS-01: Interfaith Ministries Of Greater Houston
Address: 3303 Main Street
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713-533-4940
ECDC (Ethiopian Community Development Council)
TX-ECDC-01: Alliance For Multicultural Community Services
Address: 6440 Hillcroft, Ste 411
Houston, TX 77081
Phone: 713-776-4700
LIRS (Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service)
TX-LIRS-06: Refugee Services Of Texas, Inc
Address: 6065 Hillcroft St, Suite 513
Houston, TX 77081
Phone: 713-644-6224
USCCB (US Conference of Catholic Bishops)
TX-USCCB-07: Catholic Charities
Address: 2900 Louisiana St. Po Box 66508
Houston, TX 77266
Phone: 713 874-6530
USCRI (US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants)
TX-USCRI-01: YMCA International Services
Address: 6300 West Park,Ste 600
Houston, TX 77057-7220
Phone: 713-339-9015
For a little deeper study, I selected Catholic Charities. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops settles the largest number of refugees in the US and they are also in your pockets for the care of ‘unaccompanied alien children.’
Looking at a recent Form 990 for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston we learn that they had a gifts and grants flow of $25,525,040 and they fed off the government trough to the tune of $16,463,451. I also hoped to find the salaries for their key employees but those pages were blank!
What can you do? Find out exactly what these Houston refugee contractors are telling the feds about the amenities Houston offers refugees by asking for their abstracts—ask for abstracts going back for five consecutive years. What is an ‘abstract?’ Go here to learn more about this important document.
It is Sunday morning, ask your local Priest if he believes the Catholic Church should be taking millions and millions of dollars from the federal treasury. Ask if that is Christian charity?
Update April 30th: Don Barnett adds to the discussion with more facts in Letter to the Editor, here.
I’m back in Maryland after spending the last three days touring the state of Minnesota where I experienced an abundance of ‘Minnesota Nice.‘
Everywhere I traveled with ACT for Americachapter leader Deb Anderson I was greeted warmly by citizen activists eager to learn more about the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program that has been run secretively for over three decades and is having an especially serious impact on the state of Minnesota.
I had prepared my first-ever power point presentation laying out the facts specifically on Minnesota, and left it with several activists who planned to show it again elsewhere.
St. Cloud dust-up!
Regular readers know that St. Cloud, Minnesota has been in the national spotlight in recent weeks and months as the Somali population there grows and becomes more demanding. See our extensive St. Cloud archive,here.
So, it is no wonder that the St. Cloud Times, a Left-leaning newspaper, took a special interest in my visit. (Update: Just so you know I did not submit the photo they used!)
By the way, one of the major action points I emphasized in my 4 presentations around the state was that concerned citizens must begin to create some serious alternative media sources to get around the ‘captured’ small city newspapers. (This probably applies to just about every small city newspaper in America!).
The Left (and their greedy friends at the Chamber of Commerce and in big business ie. meatpackers) cannot stand to have the facts about what they are doing reported. The Left (looking for new Democrat voters), the Chamber and big business don’t give a damn about what they do to your towns. It is all about power and money!
Free speech is still the greatest weapon at our disposal, please use it!
Reporter Stephanie Dickrell
So, I was pleasantly surprised that reporter Stephanie Dickrell at the St. Cloud Times (sdickrell@stcloudtimes.com) went to so much effort to find the facts and report that my “facts” are essentially true.
But, the most important thing her story did (probably for the first time ever) was to explain to their readers many of the details of how the UN/US State Department refugee program works.
Here is just a bit of what she said:
Ann Corcoran visited St. Cloud on Thursday, speaking at a private event, where media was not permitted, and appearing on KNSI’s Ox In the Afternoon show. She is the editor and founder of Refugee Resettlement Watch and has been involved with the refugee issue since 2007. [Will link the radio interview as soon as I get it.—ed]
She is also the author of “Refugee Resettlement and the Hijra to America,” available on Amazon and at securefreedom.org.
Her worry is that refugees are being settled around the country using tax dollars and that is part of a larger movement to infiltrate America and promote Islam.
Yup!
Corcoran said people are hesitant to speak up on the issue for fear of being called racist. But she believes residents have a “right to ask” who’s coming, how many are coming, where are they coming from and how much government money is being spent.
Yup!
I couldn’t have been more delighted than to have been personally attacked in a verbal temper tantrum by this man—‘Professor’ Aric Putnam. I wonder does he understand that he is shilling for the Chamber of Commerce and BIG MEAT as they hunger for cheap immigrant labor?
Corcoran’s main argument is that refugees are being brought to U.S. cities using taxpayer money in a secretive manner and without the say of residents. She argues that refugee resettlement should still be performed by private charities.
Once here, she argues, refugees immediately enroll in welfare and other social services.
Yup!
Corcoran also argues that most of these refugees are selected by the United Nations to come to the U.S. and come from “countries that hate us.”
Yup!
LSS of Minnesota’s head honcho actually makes more than what I reported! Again, what on earth could this CEO do (while being largely paid out of your wallets) that justifies a salary higher than a US Congressman, a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice?
Corcoran claimed 89 percent of LSS is funded by federal and state taxpayers. She said the Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota CEO makes more than $300,000 a year.
The organization’s funding comes from a variety of sources, including congregations, fees people pay for LSS services, local United Ways, private grants, individual contributions, bequests and government contracts for service. From that, 82 percent of its funding comes from government sources, according to Maureen Warren, chief family services officer. [Ms. Warren and I were likely looking at two different years … but 82% is still outrageous for a so-called Christian charity.—ed]
President/CEO Jodi Harpstead had base compensation of about $267,000 in 2013. With retirement and other compensation added, her total comes to $323,000.
Stephanie Dickrell did a pretty good job on the news report. But, she (more likely her editors) blew it by also publishing a companion “news” story that should have been published as an Op-Ed by a “professor of rhetoric,”a supposed believer in free speech, that is nothing more than an ad hominem personal attack.
Is that what we teach college students to do these days as they pursue careers in “communication?”
The Professor reviewed a video clip put out by the Center for Security Policy in conjunction with the release of my little book: ‘Refugee Resettlement and the Hijra to America,’ but the paper fails to link it, so readers can analyze for themselves whether I am promoting a “conspiracy theory” as Mr. Putnam says more than once.
The Professor uses a typical Leftwing tactic of attacking me personally. This is what they ALWAYS do to silence opposing views.
Watch this clip of ‘Professor’ Putnam of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s UniversityCommunications Studies Department talk about preparing “better thinkers.” Really?
A home run!
Other than the St. Cloud Times editors choosing to publish the personal attack from ‘Professor’ Aric Putnam as news, I’m tickled with it because as one very astute observer noted—-“when you receive flak, you know you are over the target!”
Reporting like this is meant to shut people up, but it doesn’t work that way on me and it shouldn’t on you! It should serve as motivation to keep doing what one is doing if it annoys them so much that they go over the top and throw a verbal temper tantrum as ‘Professor’ Putnam does here.
