Obama is transforming American towns and cities with migrants; called “social engineering writ large”

05/07/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Leo Hohmann, writing at World Net Daily, has another in what is turning into a series on Obama’s plan to change America by changing the people.

Chris Farrell, Director of Research at Judicial Watch, characterizes it as “social engineering writ large.”

However, one of the revelations in this article entitled ‘Mayors join Obama’s ‘welcoming’ parade for immigrants’ is that the social engineering began long before Obama took office!

According to Nashville citizen activist Joanne Bregman, it began in earnest during the Bush Administration!

We told you about Atlanta and public-enemy-number-one—David Lubell—here last October in our post on the ‘dirty dozen mayors’ selling out America! https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/2014/10/02/welcoming-america-announces-dirty-dozen-mayors-who-invite-illegal-alien-children-to-their-cities/

Hohmann begins his narrative with news from ‘Welcoming’ Atlanta:

For the millions of immigrants and refugees who might feel unwelcome in Georgia, Texas, Alabama and any other state not on board with President Obama’s plans to “build welcoming communities” for “new Americans,” Mayor Kasim Reed has a message: Come to Atlanta.

[….]

City spokeswoman Melissa Mullinax told WND that Reed began working with Welcoming America more than a year ago.

Welcoming America is headed by David Lubell, a close associate of President Obama who met with the president when he announced his executive amnesty plans in Nashville last November. Lubell’s group was hatched in 2010 with $150,000 in seed money from billionaire George Soros and is now flush with federal grants. [‘Welcoming America,’ patterned after Lubell’s earlier group ‘Welcoming Tennessee,’ first came to my attention at an Office of Refugee Resettlement ‘stakeholders’ meeting here in Lancaster, PA in 2013.—ed]

Gotta get those Democrat voters registered!

According to city documents, Reed agreed on Sept. 17, 2014, to implement a list of 20 recommendations from the Welcoming Atlanta Working Group, an outgrowth of Lubell’s national Welcoming America. Number 10 on the list was to open “citizenship corners” at local libraries and to “conduct voter registration drives and outreach at City of Atlanta festivals.”

Changing Nashville, TN began in 2001 with a federal grant!

Hohmann continues:

A local activist who opposes new settlements of refugees in Tennessee and asked not to be identified, told WND the city has received thousands of Kurdish and Somali refugees over the past 15 years and most have not assimilated, living in “enclaves.”

“They call Nashville ‘Little Kurdistan,’” she said. “We have the largest Kurdish community in the U.S. thanks to refugee resettlement. They’re mostly Sunni, and most of the Islamic activism has come out of the Kurdish community here.”

Like the mayors in Chicago, Atlanta and L.A., Nashville Mayor Karl Dean has created a special high-level office, the New Americans Advisory Council, to advise him on how to integrate the growing population of foreign-born residents.

Planting seed communities in smaller cities

Nashville’s foray into the immigrant welcoming business began in earnest when it agreed to join a pilot program funded by a federal grant to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2001. Nashville joined Portland, Oregon, and Lowell, Massachusetts, as the three experimental testing grounds.

That experiment, called Building the New American Community Initiative, contained a mission that became the model for transforming the demographics of cities of all sizes across the U.S.

“The whole point of this grant if you look in retrospect what they were trying to do, is expand the resettlements outside of the traditional gateway cities of L.A., New York, Houston, Boston, Miami and Chicago and plant new seeds throughout the country,” the Nashville activist said.

“They roped in the Chamber of Commerce, which took this federal grant,” she added. “And one of the outgrowths of this twisted thinking is to very quickly get the refugees invested in local government and forming coalitions within their communities.”

There is much, much more, please read it all!

For those of you conflicted about the humanitarian issues involved with refugees and immigrants, make no mistake, this is about money and power, straight up!

Most refugees (who don’t have an Islamic supremacist agenda) and refugees and immigrants (who aren’t looking for a handout of taxpayer-funded goodies) are pawns for the Chamber of Commerce, big businesses and progressives hungry for power. Is it all about money for the Republican elitists who turn a blind eye?

So what are these “proprietary documents” the US State Department is talking about (and denying you)?

05/06/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

We are the taxpayers. We are paying for all of this refugee resettlement. Other than perhaps the individual names of the refugees, why should any of the documents be “proprietary,” but that is what staff for Secretary of State John Kerry is telling Rep. Trey Gowdy, here.***

“Funding proposals to PRM [US State Dept. Population, Refugees and Migration] are proprietary documents.”

Kerry and Richard — Responsible for the Refugee Admissions Program are Sec. of State John Kerry being whispered to by Asst. Sec. of State for Population Refugees and Migration, Anne C. Richard formerly a Vice President with one of the contractors. The revolving door between government agencies and contractors is alive and well!

A couple of weeks ago we reported, here, on the “Abstracts” each resettlement subcontractor must prepare each year in preparation for getting a new batch of refugees—it’s kind of a wish list for how many refugees they want to bring to your town, where they might come from, and what amenities your town has to offer the refugees (the “seedlings”—Obama Administration word). It also contains information on what it will cost and what the subcontractor will contribute. Their allotment of refugees and their funding will be based on these reports to Washington. Why would such documents be “proprietary?”

Editor’s note: I worry daily about how far readers want to get “into the weeds” on the inner workings of the Refugee Admissions Program, but will continue to post information like this for those of you who enjoy wandering in the weeds!

Here (below) is a page from an abstract we posted (this is from Memphis), and the bit of information I want to leave you with is this:

The Refugee Act of 1980 (Senators Kennedy, Biden and Pres. Jimmy Carter) envisioned a public-private partnership with these contractors. However, increasingly, over the years the contractors don’t have much in the way of cash to supply so they count up all the used furniture they get and the hours and miles their ‘volunteers’ accrue and count that as their contribution to the cost of the program.

So, this is also why it is so important for them to find “church” groups and other groups to volunteer because their “volunteer” man-hours represent cold hard cash—the contractors share of the public-private partnership (they really have a racket going!).

In this sample page from Memphis, TN for FY2010, Catholic Charities is projecting that they will contribute $50,000 in Volunteer hours/Miles, the same as the previous year, but I will bet these are only guesses at best!

Please go here and find a resettlement subcontractor close to you and ask them to send you their most recent “abstracts.” I suggest you ask for several years going back from FY2015 (they are working on 2016 now). Assuming the agency gives you what you are asking for, I think you will be surprised to learn what amenities your town has to offer the “new Americans!”

*** For readers arriving here for the first time today, see our initial post on Spartanburg, SC with updates on Rep. Trey Gowdy’s involvement, click here.

Citizen researcher: Get “the plan” for your community before it goes to Washington

04/20/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Editor: Every resettlement agency (contractor) must submit to its parent contractor (those top nine we harp about all the time) a plan for your town or city every year. “The plan” (sometimes called an “abstract”) includes the number of refugees the local agency thinks they can accommodate and lists the resources/amenities your town has to offer the refugees. These “plans” are never available for public review and comment, but are used by the US State Department and the Office of Refugee Resettlement to determine how much of your hard-earned taxpayer dollars are needed by the contractors.

A citizen activist in Tennessee has penned this important guest post so that you can learn how to obtain and research “the plan” for your community.

Last week we asked you to get your state plan, here. Now it is time to get your local one.

Here are the resettlement subcontractors working in over 190 cities across the country. Find one near you and ask for their “abstract” for FY2015. Unfortunately 2015 has already been approved, but it will give you an idea of what they are doing at this minute in your city.

As we approach FY2016, demand “the plan” before it goes to Washington. FY2016 begins on October 1, 2015, so they are working on these now, or will be shortly.

**Get the Plan Before Federal Contractors Bring Refugees to Your Community**

By Joanne Bregman

Federal refugee resettlement contractors should be required to openly disclose their proposed plan to the receiving host community before it is accepted and funded by the federal government. These plans contain no proprietary information and should not be awarded public money without first being vetted, commented upon and accepted by the proposed receiving community.

This is especially important in the states being run as Wilson-Fish programs, which means that a federal contractor is in charge and the state government has no voice in the running of the program. In states where the program is run by the state government, not only would this be appropriate but state dollars appropriated to the program should be discussed openly and the priority questioned by the state legislature prior to adopting their annual budget.

This GAO Report was critical of the process for resettling refugees into local communities, but it seems to have disappeared down a black hole. We see no reform, or more transparency coming from its release nearly three years ago. http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592975.pdf

Refugee resettlement is a government procured set of services that federal contractors are paid to provide. In fact, the resettlement contractors are paid for each individual refugee they bring to a community and as the 2012 GAO report noted:

“…local affiliate funding is based on the number of refugees they serve, so affiliates have an incentive to maintain or increase the number of refugees they resettle each year rather than allowing the number to decrease.”

The nine national voluntary agencies (VOLAGs) have affiliate (local) offices spread throughout the country, except for Wyoming where there is no refugee resettlement program.

Sometime before the start of the federal fiscal year (October 1 of the previous year) when these businesses get to find out how much public money they will receive, the local affiliate offices submit a resettlement proposal, sometimes called a “resettlement abstract.”

They “bid for bodies” and write narratives explaining why their location is a good place to resettle refugees. These “bids” are sent to their national VOLAG, which works with the State Department and the other VOLAGs to divide up the new fiscal year’s anticipated arrivals and the money that attaches to the arrivals.

The abstracts/annual resettlement plans include statements like “ELL [English Language Learner] services in the public schools are free.” Of course lots of other taxpayer- funded services such as Medicaid and cash welfare are also “free.”

They detail how many mosques might be in a location and how many languages are spoken by the agency’s staff members. They might include information about the ethnic composition of the seed communities they helped to start and the medical services available in a community. The plan might disclose the work of the resettlement agency’s “employment specialists” paid to get refugees employed ahead of unemployed Americans in the same community.

Here (below) is an example of a local resettlement plan; there should be a requirement that they be presented to local communities before being funded with public money. Until then, community members should inquire of the local resettlement organizations in their communities and when they are told (as they most likely will), that they do not have the information, move on to the national parent VOLAG office and request the documents.

This plan is an older one for Memphis, Tennessee:

Concerned about refugees coming to your state? Get your state plan!

04/13/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

According to regulations promulgated under the Refugee Act of 1980, every state resettling refugees must submit a plan to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (at HHS) and keep it current. That means every state, but Wyoming (so far).

This ORR map gives you some idea of the number of cities with refugee resettlement offices. They got ahead of themselves and put a Casper, WY office in when that program seems to be stalled. Map is here if you want to try to get a clearer look at it: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/fy2014-reception-and-placement-rp-network-affiliates-map

I would like everyone concerned about the Refugee Resettlement Program to contact your state coordinator today and ask for your state’s plan.

The coordinators are listed here. Tell them that according to the 45 CFR Section 400.4 and 400.5 they should have a current plan on file.

If you get a runaround, get their address and send them a formal letter.

Here are the regulations from 45 CFR Section 400.4:

(b) A State must certify no later than 30 days after the beginning of each Federal fiscal year that the approved State plan is current and continues in effect. If a State wishes to change its plan, a State must submit a proposed amendment to the plan. The proposed amendment will be reviewed and approved or disapproved in accordance with §400.8.

From Section 400.5, this is what the plan must include:

The plan must:

(a) Provide for the designation of, and describe the organization and functions of, a State agency (or agencies) responsible for developing the plan and administering, or supervising the administration of, the plan;

(b) Describe how the State will coordinate cash and medical assistance with support services to ensure their successful use to encourage effective refugee resettlement and to promote employment and economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

(c) Describe how the State will ensure that language training and employment services are made available to refugees receiving cash assistance, and to other refugees, including State efforts to actively encourage refugee registration for employment services;

(d) Identify an individual designated by the Governor or the appropriate legislative authority of the State, with the title of State Coordinator, who is employed by the State and will have the responsibility and authority to ensure coordination of public and private resources in refugee resettlement in the State;

(e) Provide for, and describe the procedures established for, the care and supervision of, and legal responsibility (including legal custody and/or guardianship under State law, as appropriate) for, unaccompanied refugee children in the State;

(f) Provide for and describe (1) the procedures established to identify refugees who, at the time of resettlement in the State, are determined to have medical conditions requiring, or medical histories indicating a need for, treatment or observation, and (2) the procedures established to monitor any necessary treatment or observation;

(g) Provide that assistance and services funded under the plan will be provided to refugees without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, or political opinion; and

(h) Provide that the State will, unless exempted from this requirement by the Director, assure that meetings are convened, not less often than quarterly, whereby representatives of local resettlement agencies, local community service agencies, and other agencies that serve refugees meet with representatives of State and local governments to plan and coordinate the appropriate placement of refugees in advance of the refugees’ arrival. All existing exemptions to this requirement will expire 90 days after the effective date of this rule. Any State that wishes to be exempted from the provisions regarding the holding and frequency of meetings may apply by submitting a written request to the Director. The request must set forth the reasons why the State considers these meetings unnecessary because of the absence of problems associated with the planning and coordination of refugee placement. An approved exemption will remain in effect for three years, at which time a State may reapply.

(i) Provide that the State will:

(1) Comply with the provisions of title IV, Chapter 2, of the Act and official issuances of the Director;

(2) Meet the requirements in this part;

(3) Comply with all other applicable Federal statutes and regulations in effect during the time that it is receiving grant funding; and

(4) Amend the plan as needed to comply with standards, goals, and priorities established by the Director.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 0960–0418)

[51 FR 3912, Jan. 30, 1986, as amended at 60 FR 33602, June 28, 1995; 65 FR 15443, Mar. 22, 2000]

Let us know what you find!

The path a refugee takes to America, note that the UN is the primary gatekeeper

04/11/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I found this flow chart this morning while researching my earlier Texas post and thought it might be useful for all of you asking what the steps are to enter the US.

Pay attention to the fact that they list war as a reason one could be a refugee, but in fact war itself is not a trigger for the internationally understood definition of “refugee” which says one must be PERSECUTED. Here (below) is the definition of refugee (the word “war” is not mentioned).

Obama bastardizing the refugee definition!

It should be noted that ‘economic migrants,’ or people fearing crime in their home country, are also NOT refugees, but Obama is further bastardizing the definition to include the “children” from Central America! (What is going to stop him from adding every poor country in the world to the program once he gets the Central American “refugee” program up and running?)

From Geneva Academy:

The Definition of a Refugee

International legal protection of refugees centres on a person meeting the criteria for refugee status as laid down in the 1951 Refugee Convention. Under Article 1(A)2, the term “refugee” shall apply to any person who:

“…owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.”

Thus, according to this provision, refugees are defined by three basic characteristics:

* they are outside their country of origin or outside the country of their former habitual residence;

* they are unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted; and

* the persecution feared is based on at least one of five grounds: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.

It is important to stress that the term “asylum seekers” refers to persons, who have applied for asylum, but whose refugee status has not yet been determined.

See also, besides the UNHCR, that the federal contractors (VOLAGs), which monopolize the program, also control one of the steps.

From the Office of Refugee Resettlement: