“I haven’t felt the commitment and the attention I was expecting.” [From the Biden Administration]
Angie Plummer, Ohio resettlement contractor
Hope all of you had a good Thanksgiving with your friends and family. No promises, but I will try to post from time to time so I won’t have too big a gap in my now nearly 15 year running catalog of ills surrounding the US Refugee Admissions Program.
Reminder: there are over 9,000 posts archived here at RRW and the search function works pretty well. Choose a few key words and see what is here.
You surely know by now that the tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees are being treated like legitimate refugees and have swamped the refugee program causing complaints to surface from other ethnic groups and from contractors*** who do not want the Afghans to completely wipe out the chances of others, like the Somali starring in thisColumbus Dispatchreport, getting their extended family members into the US.
Biden’s pause on refugee resettlement worries agencies, advocates in Greater Columbus
Aden Hassan wants his mother here. He blamed Trump for not moving faster and now he blames Biden.
Biden has paused the regular resettlement program in order to accommodate the Afghans, many of whom have not been vetted and likely will never be legal refugees.
Columbus is a top Somali resettlement target city
Angie Plummer, executive director of local refugee resettlement agency Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) [CRIS is a subcontractor of Church World Service—ed], which resettled Hassan, said there’s no reason why Afghans and refugees from other countries can’t be helped simultaneously.
“When we were asked do we want to pause (refugee) arrivals, I said no because it’s apples and oranges,” Plummer said. “We don’t think that it’s necessary. It’s not a competition for resources to have these folks come.”
[….]
“I fear there’s only so much bandwidth and that it’s shifted to focusing on Afghans, and we can’t take our eyes off these other crises that are happening,” Plummer said. “We want to serve the Afghans well, but we also feel committed to serving those people whose cases we started and who got the shaft under Trump.”
In light of the pause, refugee resettlement advocates are lamenting the fact that Biden did not prioritize rebuilding the refugee resettlement program as soon as he was inaugurated in January.
Plummer said she is concerned because the program’s capacity is still being rebuilt after Trump’s administration decimated its infrastructure.
“Any stopping and starting creates pains,” Plummer said. “I worry about that. Even if their intentions are to try to exempt out certain groups, we should be trying to ramp it back up and help this machinery work again.”
[….]
“I haven’t felt the commitment and the attention I was expecting,” Plummer said. “I really thought some wrongs would be righted and they haven’t been, and it feels like they’ve been shuffled down the road.”
Meredith Owen, Church World Service
The fact that the administration hasn’t prioritized restoring resettlement capacity sooner makes Meredith Owen, director of policy and advocacy at the national refugee resettlement agency Church World Service (CWS), furious.
“The problem is you never want to undermine or harm one refugee population in the name of another,” Owen said.
But, that is exactly what is happening. Muslim Afghans are apparently Biden’s priority. There is much more, visit theColumbus Dispatch for additional details.
*** For new readers, these are the nine major federal resettlement agencies which have contracts with the US State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement to place refugees (find housing!) and get them signed up for their welfare benefits, their medical care and get the refugee kids in school.
If you have an agency working near you and it doesn’t have the same name as one of the nine below, check its website carefully and you will most likely find it is a subcontractor of one of the nine (like CRIS is a CWS subcontractor).
Poor mouthing….
Know that when they “got the shaft” under the Trump Administration they were fundraising on their plight something they can’t do now that their guy is in charge of the taxpayer portion of their money stream.
Instead of student visas (that have an expiration date) for college age foreigners, they want refugee status for them. And, that means besides a free ride to college they would get “services” to support them (and of course would never be expected to leave!).
Services means social services like housing, medical care, and food all supplied by you, the US taxpayer.
If they got their way, students like Khaled Awad who stabbed a rabbi in Boston last week, would not have to leave the country when a student visa expired, as it did for this creep.
Egyptian man charged in Boston rabbi stabbing overstayed student visa, was in US illegally: ICE
Now, here isCrux (a Catholic publication) reporting on Church World Service’s plan.
They are busy, busy, busy finding new ways to get more refugees into the US!
Church group seeks ‘educational pathways’ for refugees to reach America
NEW YORK – A new report from a faith-based organization calls for the federal government to create educational pathways for refugees to resettle in the U.S., as the Biden administration looks to rebuild the nation’s refugee resettlement program.
The report, from international faith-based advocacy organization Church World Service, was published July 1. It focuses on four steps for the Biden Administration, the first of which would be granting refugees admitted into the U.S. to pursue higher education refugee status, which would provide them more robust and longer-term protections than temporary student visas.
[….]
In April, however, Biden received backlash after he announced he would not increase the refugee admissions cap from the 15,000. The president then backtracked on that decision a month later and raised the cap to 62,500, with a goal of resettling 125,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2022.
The Church World Service report notes that rebuilding the refugee resettlement program to that capacity is not an easy task. Therefore, it argues, it will be important for the Biden administration to consider complementary pathways, which “places focus on exploring ways to open educational, employment, family reunification, and other humanitarian pathways to refugees.”
Under an education pathway, the report says that these students “would be selected on the basis of their educational qualifications, in addition to their need for protection and a durable solution.”
[….]
President Trump attempted to give some power to state and local governments to determine resettlement in their states. CWS, and here Erol Kekic, sued the Trump administration because they (partnering with the feds) want to continue to decide which cities and states will get which refugees. https://www.hias.org/blog/hias-refugee-agencies-argue-against-trump-executive-order
The United States has some of the best universities in the world, [and] they deserve students who can bring new, invigorating perspectives to their classrooms,” Erol Kekic, senior vice president of Church World Service’s Immigration and Refugee Program, said in a statement.
Now get this! These new types of ‘refugee’ would not count in the annual cap—a cap expected to be set in September at 125,000!
That said, the report also argues that the Biden administration should count refugees admitted into the U.S. through an education, or other complementary pathway, separately than those admitted on humanitarian grounds. Instead, the report argues, it should increase admissions.
[….]
It suggests that the U.S. government establish a separate target number of refugees to admit in addition to the 125,000 person goal anticipated to be set for the upcoming fiscal year.
“Educational pathways must not compete with humanitarian-based resettlement, and any educational or other complementary pathway should be designed to ensure that this separation is maintained,” the report continues.
Other steps Church World Service suggests the Biden administration take to implement an educational pathway include working with resettlement agencies to make sure student-refugees have the core services in place to excel as new Americans and students.
That last bit means that the contractors (aka resettlement agencies) get paid by taxpayers to help the student refugees (clients!) get their services!
One of my favorite pics of all time. The ‘Christians’ of CWS.
If you are new to RRW, here (below) are the nine major refugee contractors licking their chops about the money that will flow to them as Biden opens the refugee spigot.
And, for ambitious readers I have a huuuge archive on Church World Service partly because it was that contractor that ‘inspired’ me to write this blog in the first place back in 2007!
It was CWS that wanted to change my county by changing the people.
Of course Church World Service will give them rosy responses to their request for more information, but at least they can make a more informed decision before changing Winchester forever.
As I said at the time, this is likely happening in many locations around America as the nine federal refugee contractors*** scour the country for new fresh territory in which to place the tidal wave of 125,000 refugees from Asia, Africa and the Middle East that Biden says he is welcoming in Fiscal Year 2022 which begins on October first.
Winchester City Council wants more info before voting on refugees
WINCHESTER — City officials say they need more information before deciding whether to welcome international refugees to Winchester.
Councilor Bell
Councilor Richard Bell, chairman of City Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee, told the full council on Tuesday night the proposal to allow refugees to live in Winchester needs more vetting at the committee level before a final vote is taken.
“We have requested that it be placed on a future Planning and Economic Development Committee agenda for a more in-depth presentation by the organization and for further consideration,” Bell told the nine-member council.
The organization Bell referred to is Church World Service (CWS), a global nonprofit that hopes to open an office in Winchester to serve people who have been forced from their homelands due to political, social or religious persecution.
Susannah Lepley, Virginia’s director of Immigration and Refugee Resettlement for CWS, told the Planning and Economic Development Committee at its meeting on April 29 the bulk of the refugees, at least initially, would come from Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They will be invited to settle in the United States by the U.S. State Department after proving they have a credible fear of persecution, or have already been persecuted, because of their heritage, social status or religious beliefs.
CWS, Lepley said, would find housing in Winchester for the refugees, help them learn English and pursue U.S. citizenship, assist them with applying for public assistance until they find employment, enroll their children in school and so on.
The committee recommended council approve the request, even though member Kim Herbstritt said at the time that Winchester has a severe shortage of affordable housing so it may be difficult to find homes for the 100 or so refugees per year that want to resettle within city limits.
Bell did not say when Lepley would be invited to make a second presentation to the committee, which is next scheduled to meet on May 19. An agenda for that session has not yet been published.
What to ask…..
When, and if, Church World Service’s Lepley is invited back, it is vitally important that concerned members of the public, not just those in the city, but county residents as well, be present to hear what she has to say.
First, we must assume, that since the city government is even contemplating saying yes, that Winchester doesn’t have any homeless or needy Americans to care for and that the city is flush with funds for educating children who don’t speak English, has ample affordable housing, is prepared to deal with health issues and is in need of low-skilled workers.
Questions I would ask in no particular order are these:
How long does Church World Service take care of the newcomers they place in the city or county (yes, they can spread refugees out for a hundred miles of Winchester once the office is established)?
Since CWS supports an open southern border, will CWS also facilitate any movement of illegal aliens/unaccompanied children into the area?
Are the refugees screened in advance for diseases such as TB, HIV, and Covid-19? Who will pay for medical needs and for how long?
Does CWS have employers lined up?
Who pays for additional ESL teachers going forward?
What religions will be represented in the group of refugees? And, what other nationalities might be added later?
Who pays for translators when the refugees have a problem with the legal system or educational system? Or, if they have a medical issue? Local taxpayers?
In what neighborhoods will the refugees be placed? If Winchester has a minority neighborhood already, care must be taken not to place third worlders into those established areas especially African American neighborhoods. Cultural conflicts have been known to occur. Back in 2008 there was just such a rough period in Roanoke.
If, for instance, Winchester welcomes a hundred this year and another hundred the next year and finds it is straining local resources or causing tensions, can Winchester shut down the flow?
There are probably plenty more, but a beautiful day outside beckons….
One last thing!
R & P Abstracts
The Winchester council, in advance of another meeting with Lepley, must ask if an R & P Abstract has already been prepared for the city by CWS.
These documents, prepared at the level of your local resettlement contractor with the help and guidance of one of the major nine federal contractors, are the blueprints for what is being planned for your town for the upcoming fiscal year.
The R & P Abstracts must be submitted to the US State Department in Washington in advance of placing refugees in any target location.
***In case you are new to RRW, here are all of the nine contractors that have monopolized all refugee distribution in the US for decades.
They worked to ‘elect’ Biden/Harris andlobby for open borders. As taxpayers you pay them millions annually to change America by changing the people.
Two of the contractors, the USCCB and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service are also paid to find locations for the Unaccompanied Alien Children.
This is probably going on in most of America right now!
The nine federal Refugee Resettlement contractors*** that work for the US State Department and ultimately the United Nationsare getting ready for Chairman Joe’s promise to begin the massive, possibly annual, flow of 125,000 refugees to America beginning October first!
(It is still unclear how many will be admitted before that date since the Biden team has beenflip-floppingon what they plan to do for the remainder of this fiscal year.)
This is exactly how it begins!
This is exactly what Church World Service did in Hagerstown, MD in 2007 when I first became aware of the federally funded plan to diversify America.
They send a spokesperson to a local elected board, in my case the county commission, to explain how wonderful it would be to bring impoverished refugees to the community.
Winchester is the county seat of largely rural Frederick County, Virginia. It borders West Virginia.
Then completely uninformed elected officials nod in agreement (fear of looking racist!) not having a clue what types of questions they should ask.
As for Winchester, Virginia, it looks like there will be an opportunity for some citizen input before May 11th, but even that may be too late because Winchester’s Democrat mayor is signaling that Winchester is welcoming.
WINCHESTER — A global faith-based organization thinks Winchester is an ideal community for international refugees who have been driven from their own countries.
Susannah Lepley, Virginia’s director of Immigration and Refugee Resettlement for the nonprofit Church World Service (CWS), told the city’s Planning and Economic Development Committee this week that her organization — formed in 1946 as a partnership between 17 religious denominations that wanted to feed, clothe and shelter the impoverished— hopes to open an office in Winchester that would serve people who have been forced from their homelands due to political, social or religious persecution.
[Lepley doesn’t mention that the majority of CWS funding comes from the US government (aka taxpayers) letting officials believe their work is purely driven by ‘religious’ charity—ed]
“We feel that refugees would add to the Winchester community,” Lepley said. “There would be more people to work here, and Winchester would be great for the refugees themselves.” [What? So Winchester is short on workers?—ed]
Lepley said the refugee resettlement office’s goal for the first year would be to bring in 100 refugees, which equates to about two families per month.
However, that number could increase in later years if President Joe Biden follows through on his pledge to raise the number of refugees allowed into the United States annually.
It will not end! Once the flow begins, elected officials in Winchester will have no say on how many more will be placed there. Schools? Healthcare? Social Services? Law enforcement? What happens when those services are stretched? Winchester will be out of luck!
By the way, Lepley’s office is in Harrisonburg, VAand they have likely saturated that area with impoverished refugees and so must now find new territory.
Currently, only 15,000 refugees are allowed in per year — a number that Lepley said is “a historic low” — but Biden has said he wants to elevate that number to 125,000, possibly as soon as October. Prior to the tenure of President Donald Trump, she said, the yearly average number of refugees allowed into the U.S. was 96,000.
“What we’re doing is building the structure so that when the presidential determination is 125,000, we’ll have places to send people that are welcoming towns, welcoming cities,” Lepley said.
The Winchester CWS office, at least initially, would primarily serve people who have fled Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After 90 days the refugees are the responsibility of ‘welcoming’ Winchester!
“Before they arrive, we find an apartment for them, we set up the apartment, we furnish it with everything from dishes to lights to beds, sheets, towels, shampoo, everything,” Lepley said. “We help them within the first seven days to apply for government assistance to get them through the first several months, provide very intensive case management for the first 90 days, and then we provide employment assistance, help put their kids in school, things like that for the first five years they’re here.”
CWS also helps refugees learn English and obtain permanent residence in the United States.
Why are they coming? Because the United Nations has “granted permission” for them to come to America!
Kim Herbstritt
Committee member Kim Herbstritt asked Lepley why the refugees would come to the U.S.
“They’re invited by the State Department,” Lepley said, explaining the refugees have already applied for, and been granted permission to, emigrate to the United States by the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees.
At least someone has the good sense to ask about housing availability!
Herbstritt said it may be difficult for Lepley to find enough local homes for the refugees. The city’s housing supply is so low that on Tuesday, only 19 homes were available for purchase in Winchester, and half of those cost more than $300,000 each. She recommended Lepley also look at available housing in nearby Frederick and Clarke counties.
If city officials give their blessing to the refugee resettlement office, Lepley said it would most likely open in April 2021 [that date has passed?—ed] somewhere within city limits.
Mayor Smith
“Winchester has always been an open community,” Mayor and committee member David Smith said before the panel voted unanimously to recommend City Council’s approval of a resolution supporting the refugee resettlement office.
Council will open discussions on the proposal at its next meeting on May 11.
So has Winchester run out of its own poor people to care for? That is what you should be asking the Mayor and city officials!
If you live in Winchester or anywhere in Frederick County, Virginia or adjoining counties and have problems with bringing third world poverty to your town or county when Americans are unemployed and homeless, you better get moving and make your voices heard.
That is the only way to stop this train.
***In case you are new to RRW, here are all of the nine contractors that have monopolized all refugee distribution in the US for decades.
They worked to ‘elect’ Biden/Harris andlobby for open borders. As taxpayers you pay them millions annually to change America by changing the people.
Never mind that we are learning that the refugees already in the United States are suffering during the Chinese virus crisis, losing jobs, being evicted and sometimes not finding enough to eat, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Societywants more (to suffer?).
The web is exploding with stories about Biden and refugees and I am bringing you this one because I thought a comment by one of the resettlement contractors was informative.
It is about Columbus, Ohio activists jumping for joy that more migrants of all stripes will be staying and that Biden will admit more refugees than that mean old (Americans First!) Trump.
But, see what refugee contractor Angie Plummer says about the 125,000 number.
Columbus Activists Hope President Biden Will Rebuild Refugee Resettlement Programs
After years of cuts and crackdowns under President Trump, immigrants rights activists are hopeful that the Biden administration will mean fewer deportations and a larger number of refugees settling in Columbus and the rest of the country.
“While our local government is very supportive of our work, our overall government funding continues to diminish.” https://www.crisohio.org/newyear2019/
Former President Trump limited the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. to lows of 15,000 a year. During the campaign, President Joe Biden promised to raise that to 125,000.
Angie Plummer, executive director of Community Refugee and Immigration Services, says that number is aspirational.
“The refugee processing pipeline has been severely damaged, there’s a lot that needs to be rebuilt,” Plummer says.
“So we’re not anticipating that huge number, certainly not this fiscal year.”
By the way, Plummer’s organization in Ohio is a subcontractor of Church World Serviceone of the nine major federal resettlement contractors.*** HIASis also one of the nine.
So with Plummer’s words in mind, why is HIAS telling its supporters to pressure Chairman Joe to set a ceiling of 125,000 this year?
It makes no sense to bring in more impoverished refugees as Americans suffer with joblessness due to Covid-19.
Previously I thought that HIAS and the others in the open borders movement simply wanted to add more Socialist leaning voters to the voter rolls as a primary objective, but heck they have now figured out how to win without real voters.
So why do this….
HIAS Hype!
That is a screenshot. See what they want their followers to do by clicking here.
When, and if, Church World Service’s Lepley is invited back, it is vitally important that concerned members of the public, not just those in the city, but county residents as well, be present to hear what she has to say.
Susannah Lepley, Virginia’s director of Immigration and Refugee Resettlement for the nonprofit Church World Service (CWS), told the city’s Planning and Economic Development Committee this week that her organization — formed in 1946 as a partnership between 17 religious denominations that wanted to feed, clothe and shelter the impoverished — hopes to open an office in Winchester that would serve people who have been forced from their homelands due to political, social or religious persecution.
By the way, Plummer’s organization in Ohio is a subcontractor of Church World Service one of the nine major federal resettlement contractors.*** HIAS is also one of the nine.
