Category: Trump

Catholic Charities of Minnesota drops refugee program; will take care of poor and homeless already among us

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

At least one of the major players in Minnesota’s refugee industry has woken up and smelled the coffee—gobs of federal money is not going to flow to the resettlement of more refugees to Minnesota, especially Somalis, in the foreseeable future.
One of the first questions people ask me when they first hear about the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program and the imminent arrival of third world poverty to their home town/city is this:

Why are we doing this when we have so many poor and homeless people right here who need care?

It looks like at least Catholic Charities is getting the message, perhaps from many faithful Catholic parishioners (like Kate below!)!
The primary story on the news is at the Star Tribune headlined (hat tip: Joanne):

Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis cuts refugee resettlement, adoption programs

The charity will instead focus on fighting homelessness and helping at-risk kids.

But, there are many news outlets including Radio KNSI with the story as well.  I had to laugh when I saw this comment at KNSI:
 
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Continue reading “Catholic Charities of Minnesota drops refugee program; will take care of poor and homeless already among us” →

Trump White House (again) thinking about moving refugee admissions OUT of State Department

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The stated reason to consider moving the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to the independent USAID is to save money by bringing our admissions program and humanitarian foreign aid together under one roof.

pompeo and tillerson
What will new Secretary of State Pompeo do? (outgoing Rex Tillerson appeared to have been hands-off when it came to refugees).

I’m in no position to judge the wisest place to move it, but I am eager to see the little fiefdoms fall and cozy relationships broken between resettlement contractors and DOS bureaucrats.
And, I have long maintained that refugee admission decisions should not be used as part of our foreign policy wheeling and dealing!
As early as 2012 (when the State Department did formerly invite comment on the program), I gave 10 reasons for a moratorium and this is my number seven:

7)   Congress needs to specifically disallow the use of the refugee program for other purposes of the US Government, especially using certain refugee populations to address unrelated foreign policy objectives—Uzbeks, Kosovars, Meshketians and Bhutanese (Nepalese) people come to mind.

If I were to write that today, I would be adding those Australian detainees we are magically transforming in to legitimate refugees for your American towns!

Either people are legitimate refugees deserving a shot at a better life and have no other options, or not. The program shouldn’t be used in any carrot/stick foreign policy wrangling.

But, that is exactly what a spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee is arguing at Foreign Policy in a story entitled:

White House Weighs Taking Refugee Programs Away From State Department

Mike Pompeo’s first test could be a plan to remove refugee aid from Foggy Bottom

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Nigerians 'escaping' US and asking for asylum in welcoming Canada

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Well what should Canada expect when their Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invited them in in the immediate wake of the election of Donald J. Trump!  Now the Canadians have the audacity to tell us we have to be more strict about who we admit to the US, so our soil doesn’t become a stepping stone to their welcoming arms in the north.
 

Trudeau diversity heart
Toning down Trudeau’s welcome!

 
Before I get to the story from the Washington Post, let me say a few words about the asylum racket. Unlike the usual US Refugee Admissions Program that I write about all the time where ‘refugees’ are selected abroad and flown here, prospective asylum seekers arrive in a safe country and request asylum by claiming they will be persecuted if returned home for reasons such as religion, race, political persuasion etc. (running from crime and violence is not a legitimate reason for eligibility!).
If they are granted asylum they are then full-fledged refugees who get all of the ‘services’ other refugees receive. 
trudeau tweet
A tweet heard around the world!

 
According to the UN and following generally understood international norms, they are to ask for asylum in the FIRST safe country they reach.
But, all of that first country stuff is out the window as people all over the world are out doing “asylum shopping.” 
If they land in Greece they want Germany and those Central Americans on our southern border right now were supposed to have asked for asylum in Mexico, but they are testing our asylum system knowing that if they get a foot in the door the process will drag out for years.
The Nigerians crossing into Canada are also shopping because they believe the political climate in the US, under President Trump, is not conducive to a favorable ruling in an asylum claim.
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Another 16 detainees that Australia refuses to resettle are on their way to four locations in US

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

We learn from Radio New Zealand that the 16 ‘refugees’ from Muslim countries are going to Chicago, Las Vegas, Texas and Arizona (cities in TX and AZ not named).

australian detainees
More mostly Muslim young men on the way to America on the taxpayer’s dime!

Trump’s travel ban has eliminated those from Somalia, Sudan and Iran, but golly-gee, this bunch is from those safe countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Rohingya from Bangladesh/Burma.

President Trump promised the Aussies that we would take up to 1,250 of those the Australians don’t want in their country—Obama’s dumb deal is Trump’s dumb deal now.

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EU, led by France and Germany, set to punish Hungary and Poland this week

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Of course it all has to do with Hungary and Poland standing against the European Union that is demanding those countries take their ‘fair share’ of migrants who have arrived illegally by the hundreds of thousands in recent years because France and Germany were spineless.
If the EU cuts off their funds, why don’t they just join the Brits and leave the EU?
Invasion of Europe news….
From the Express:

Eastern EU states such as Poland and Hungary would be punished under the proposals if they are deemed to have fallen short of the bloc’s ‘democratic values’.

Trump and Macron
While Trump and Macron swooned, the Hungarians and Poles were standing firm against bullying from France and Germany.  Come on Donald, snuggling with Macron isn’t helping your image. Where is the State Dinner for Viktor Orban?

Brussels’ move comes after growing calls from Germany and France, the EU’s two most influential members, to punish rebel member states.

Under the proposals, to be unveiled by the EU’s budget chief Guenther Oettinger this week, bureaucrats would freeze access to funding for EU projects.

An EU source said: “The proposal will include the temporary freezing of funds in order to motivate a change of behaviour among states.”

The measures are likely to further increase tensions between Brussels and the populist, right-wing governments in Warsaw and Budapest.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly clashed with the EU over the migrant crisis after refusing to sign up to refugee resettlement schemes.

And Poland has angered Brussels after introducing controversial judicial reforms judged anti-democratic by the European Commission.

See my previous posts on Hungary and Poland.
My complete ‘Invasion of Europe’ file is here.