Tag: Church World Service

It is Sunday morning: Is your church lobbying Congress for 100,000 Syrians to be admitted to the US

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Yes! It probably is, if it is one of thirty seven member communions of the National Council of Churches***
Editor’s note:  This post is about Church World Service, one of nine major federal resettlement contractors pulling out all the stops in a massive PR campaign to go beyond Obama’s plan to bring in 10,000 MOSTLY MUSLIM Syrians this fiscal year. Also involved in the campaign is the US Conference of Catholic Bishops/Catholic Charities, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
This is what Church World Service head honcho has to say about the propaganda campaign being launched in your churches.

McCullough CWS
CWS CEO Rev. John L. McCullough arrested at the White House in 2014 while protesting for amnesty for illegal aliens. These are not ‘churches’ but are Leftwing community organizers. McCullough pulls down a handsome six-figure salary partially funded by US taxpayers to do his NO borders political activities. Photo at Sojourners: https://sojo.net/articles/faith-leaders-arrested-white-house-calling-immigration-reform

See also Leo Hohmann’s lengthy article at World Net Daily yesterday on the campaign for Muslim migration to your towns and cities.
From The Northwestern (which appears to be using a CWS press release verbatim):

Responding to recent announcements that certain governors will not accept Syrian refugees for resettlement in their states, Church World Service President and CEO, the Rev. John L. McCullough, urged public officials to avoid knee-jerk reactions, to reject misplaced blame and to stand in solidarity with Syrian refugees, who are themselves victims of ISIS.

The terrorist attacks in Paris will certainly change our world. There may be little that we can do individually to stop the horrors of terrorism, but we can at least offer shelter and support to the families fleeing violence in their own countries.

Please look at the reports on refugees published by Church World Service visit www.cwsglobal.org and get involved

[….]

You may also consider contacting your senator and representatives in congress and encouraging them to authorize the acceptance of 100,000 Syrian refugees into the US (a number suggested by the National Council of Churches), rather than the 10,000 the government is currently considering.

Oh, and don’t forget to send us money!

Please consider sending a donation to Church World Service to support their refugee programs and contacting your representatives in Congress to encourage opening our doors to accept many more refugees.

More here.
And, btw, Church World Service was the major contractor that came to my county back in 2007 and that first drew me into this serious issue.
Are you a member of one of these faith communities?  If so, it is time to stand up to your church!
*** Members of the National Council of Churches pushing for 100,000 mostly Muslim Syrians to be admitted to the US.  This is a very handy list of the churches that have become active in hard Left community organizing (add the USCCB and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and the gang is all here):
 
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Churches in the USA
Armenian Church of America, Eastern and Western Dioceses
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Church of the Brethren
Community of Christ
Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America
Ecumenical Catholic Communion
The Episcopal Church (USA)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Hungarian Reformed Church in America
International Council of Community Churches
Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, American Diocese
Mar Thoma Church
Moravian Church in America, Northern and Southern Provinces
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
Orthodox Church in America
Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA
Polish National Catholic Church
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
Reformed Church in America
Religious Society of Friends, Friends United Meeting
Religious Society of Friends, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America
The Swedenborgian Church of North America
Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch, Archdiocese of the Eastern United States
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
United Church of Christ
The United Methodist Church

Action Alert:  Call your members of the House and Senate at 202-224-3121 and ask them to vigorously oppose the Refugee Resettlement funding contained in the Omnibus Spending Bill that will be voted on by 12-11-15! Please call by this Friday, Dec. 4th.

Indiana: ACLU files lawsuit against governor on behalf of resettlement contractor over Syrians

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is news from the day before Thanksgiving and would not have caught my eye except for the fact that the resettlement contractor—Exodus Refugee Immigration—was the subject of a post here earlier this year when they said they would welcome Syrians to Indianapolis because a major Muslim Brotherhood organization was located nearby!

isna-islamic-society-of-north-america-IP
Islamic Society of North America is headquartered in Indiana. Refugee contractor cites that piece of information to justify bringing Syrian refugees to the state. Photo: http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/islamic-society-north-america-isna

First, here is the story from the Associated Press about the lawsuit:

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A lawsuit challenging the Indiana governor’s decision to stop state agencies from helping resettle Syrian refugees alleges that the action wrongly targets the refugees based on their nationality and violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed the federal lawsuit Monday night on behalf of Indianapolis-based nonprofit Exodus Refugee Immigration. It accuses Gov. Mike Pence of accepting refugees to Indiana from other countries but not from Syria.

The first-term Republican governor objected to plans for refugees to arrive in Indiana following the attacks in Paris. Five days after the Nov. 13 attacks, a family that had fled war-torn Syria was diverted from Indianapolis to Connecticut when Pence ordered state agencies to halt resettlement activities.

The ACLU of Indiana filed a motion Tuesday asking a federal judge to put a temporary hold on Pence’s directive that state agencies stop helping with the resettlement of Syrian refugees by using federal money to provide services such as housing and medical care.

Continue reading here.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the governor has any power.  I wonder what would happen if Pence did not single out the Syrians and instead said Indiana wouldn’t take any refugees from anywhere—now that would be fun to see!
Expect to see more lawsuits like this one against the governors.

Here is what I said back in March about this resettlement contractor—Exodus Refugee Immigration:

This is a really informative news report from reporter Gretchen Frazee at Indiana Public Media.  The story begins with a warm introduction to a Syrian family which has just arrived in Indianapolis with the help of federal resettlement contractor Exodus Refugee Immigration which is a subcontractor of both Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries (two of the big nine contractors).

Muslim Brotherhood organization nearby!

We are told that one reason Indianapolis was chosen is that the Islamic Society of North America is nearby (ahhhhh!)

Carleen Miller, Executive Director of Exodus Refugee Immigration
Carleen Miller, Executive Director Exodus Refugee Immigration: Indiana is a good place because Muslim Brotherhood organization is headquartered here. “This year the number will be small…then their relatives will come and then their relatives will come.”

From Indiana Public Media:

The State Department normally sends refugees to cities where they have friends or family. But Lababidi and Alhamoud didn’t know anyone in the U.S., so the government used a kind of formula to determine which location had the resources to best meet their needs.  The department determined that place was Indiana.  [I sure would like to see this formula!—ed]

“The main thing is that refugees go to a place that’s welcoming, that has a cost of living they can survive in, that has employment and opportunities,” says Carleen Miller, the executive director of Exodus Refugee Immigration, which is handling Syrian families’ resettlement in Indianapolis.

She points out that the Islamic Society of North America is based just outside of Indianapolis in Plainfield. There is also a mosque which many Syrians attend in Fishers and a group of Christian Syrians at a nearby church.

“There are people who are interested in Syrians in our city, so it makes for a good environment for them to be successful,” Miller says.

Not the first time the ACLU is working with a federal resettlement contractor. 

Way back in July 2007, our first month in existence, we reported on a lawsuit in Tennessee where a resettlement contractor (also affiliated with Church World Service) filed a lawsuit with the ACLU (and CAIR) so the resettlement contractor would not have to give information to the FBI about the location of some missing Iraqi refugees.  Of course, the issue is different, but shows the willingness of the ACLU to join forces with a federal resettlement contractor, a ‘church’ group which is a subcontractor of Church World Service.
I’ve been wondering all these last 8 years why the ACLU isn’t interested in suing the federal “church” contractors over the separation of church and state!

Sacramento to welcome large number of Syrians says resettlement contractor

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

There is nothing unexpected in this news article about the new CEO of ‘Opening Doors’ another resettlement agency contracted through Church World Service (one of nine major resettlement contractors working for the UN/US State Department), but I bring it to you because it makes some points we have been making lately.

Deborah Ortiz
Deborah Ortiz to be the new CEO of Opening Doors. Photo: http://sacramentopress.com/2011/03/22/latino-leaders-honored-in-cesar-chavez-resolution/

Yes!  They are contractors!
I had to laugh when I saw this line on their website.  South Carolina readers will recall that when Asst. Sec. of State for PRM, Anne Richard, came to Spartanburg she said that they were not “CONTRACTORS,” but had signed “agreements.”  Someone needs to tell ‘Opening Doors:’

Refugees come to us through our affiliate, Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program that is under contract to the United States Department of State.

First and foremost I was interested in the fact that Opening Doors (largely funded with taxpayer dollars)*** doesn’t just resettle refugees, but works with and for illegal aliens as well. That is a point I have been making lately.  Many who want to see illegal immigration brought under control say “legal immigration is good,” but these groups we fund—like Opening Doors—are perfectly fine with promoting the rights of illegal migrants right along with their resettlement work that is paid for by you!
Here is the story from the Sacramento Bee:

Deborah Ortiz, a veteran public servant who spent years trying to help immigrants and refugees in Sacramento and the state, will soon be aiding hundreds of new Sacramentans fleeing violence or persecution in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and more than half a dozen other nations.

On Jan. 1, the former city council member, assemblywoman and state senator will take over as CEO of Opening Doors, a nonprofit agency that helps refugees, immigrants and human-trafficking survivors achieve self-sufficiency through job training, small-business loans and access to legal and social services. Last year, the agency served more than 650 immigrants and refugees and helped resettle 423. It also assisted 94 human-trafficking survivors.

[….]

Since 2011, when the Syrian conflict started, 1,500 Syrians have been resettled nationwide. Sacramento ranks third in the nation among cities receiving them. Since April, Opening Doors, one of several resettlement agencies here, has resettled 25.  [97% of those arriving in FY2015 are Muslims, does Church World Service not advocate for persecuted Christians?  Guess not!—ed]

Is Opening Doors keeping a huge chunk of the refugees cash?

Then this (below) gave me pause.  Refugees are given cash by the federal government in the amount of $1,975 per person and the contractor usually pockets around $800 of it (per refugee) for their overhead (they are paid by the head for their work, thus they have every incentive to never slow the flow).
Does this mean that Opening Doors is pocketing an even bigger chunk?
Note again, that the contractor’s job is to sign the refugees up for their welfare goodies.  You can be sure that no matter how hard they wish it, the refugees are NOT “independent” in three months as they claim.

Refugees receive $925 in federal funding for the first 30 days. It helps pay for setting up their households, food, housing and nominal expenses. Their refugee status many help them qualify for other income-based public assistance programs including cash assistance, Medi-Cal, and CalFresh (food stamps) for up to eight months for adults without dependent children. Families with children are eligible to receive benefits for four years.

Opening Doors supports them for three months from the date of arrival in Sacramento. The agency enrolls refugees in ESL classes, human services and employment services to help them to become independent at the end of the three months.

Maybe it’s the reporter’s fault, but someone needs to see if this contractor is keeping a big chunk of the refugees’ cash.
*** Here is Opening Doors’ most recently available Form 990.  They are a $1.3 million a year business with just about $1 million coming from your wallets.
Endnote: An Iraqi refugee wrote this criticism of Opening Doors in 2010.

Is your church doing a "Crop Walk," if so you are funding Church World Service, a federal refugee resettlement contractor

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Crop walkJust so you know, 75% of the money you raise locally from your church’s “Crop Walk” goes into the coffers of one of nine wealthy federal resettlement contractors––Church World Service.
Here is a story from Red Bank, NJ about a local “Crop Walk.”  So there are no poor hungry American people left in NJ to walk for?
Find a walk near you. See if your church is participating, here.
Just want you to know where your money is going!  See a recent Form 990 here.  Top salary $288,000 with 5 other employees in 6-figures.
Is Church World Service bringing refugees to your towns, go here and find out.

The wailing has begun! Refugee contractors furious that Obama 'only' admitting 10,000 Syrians this coming year

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is how the game is played in Washington.  For months the resettlement contractors*** and the Senate Jihad Caucus have been clamoring for 65,000 Syrians to be admitted to the US in the next fiscal year which begins in 2 and 1/2 weeks (October 1). For new readers that number would nearly double the present number of refugees (70,000) from all countries who have entered the US and joined our welfare rolls each year of the Obama Administration.

erolkekic
Erol Kekic of Church World Service on the 10,000 Syrians proposal: Obama must have left off a zero

Then just a week or so ago the number they were demanding jumped to 100,000, so when Obama sent out the 10,000 Syrians trial balloon this week, it was easy to predict that the contractors, who are PAID BY THE HEAD to resettle refugees in over 190 towns and cities in the US went ballistic.
They will run in circles, scream and shout, and then watch for it! Obama will up the number (something he will surely be happy to do).
You need to counter this move! 
From the Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — Seventy-two House Democrats joined human rights groups on Friday in calling for the U.S. to admit 100,000 Syrian refugees next fiscal year, saying the White House’s proposal to take in 10,000 of them is far from enough.

The members said the U.S. should accept 200,000 refugees total in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, echoing a number put forward by groups that help with and advocate for resettlement.   [Come on reporters could you for once say they are paid by the taxpayers for their ‘advocacy.’—ed]

[….]

The full number of refugees to be admitted next fiscal year needs to be set by the end of the month. So far, the administration has said total refugee admissions will be higher than 70,000 — the number set for this fiscal year — and that the number of Syrians to be admitted will go from the 1,500 target this year to 10,000.

Kevin Appleby USCCB
US Conference of Catholic Bishops lobbyist, Kevin Appleby, is “disappointed,” wanted 100,000!

“When we saw that we just said, ‘Uh, did he forget a zero in his announcement?’ Because the 10,000 figure certainly doesn’t even begin to seriously address the issue,” said Erol Kekic, executive director of the immigration and refugee program at Church World Service.

[….]

The groups calling for 200,000 refugee admissions next fiscal year received support Thursday from Reps. John Conyers (Mich.) and Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), the top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and its immigration subcommittee, respectively.

They can’t even find enough employment, housing and health care for the 70,000 they already bring, do they have a death wish for America?
The article goes on to quote Kevin Appleby, the lobbyist for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, as “surprised and disappointed.”

There must be hearings in the House and Senate Judiciary Committees!

I’ve been looking into Refugee law (more later) and as I read it, Congress must hold hearings in the next two weeks on the President’s “Determination Letter” which should be arriving on the Hill this week in order to fit the “consultation” deadline required in the law.

Don’t count on Congress to save us, but don’t remain silent!

Here are the Members of the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.  They will be “consulting” with the White House this month on the refugee numbers for FY2016.   If any of these are your representatives call them now—10,000 is too high when as we know they cannot be properly screened for security!  So far, 95% of the Syrians admitted to the US have been Sunni Muslims.  The percentage jumps to 97% for those who entered in 2015 alone.

This is not about saving the persecuted Christians.  Much to my shock, I have never heard any of the supposedly “religious” charities listed below specifically say they want to save Christians first!

The House subcommittee responsible for refugees is below.  Check the full committee list here as well where you will find full names, party affiliation and district.
But, remember that Congress has been virtually absent in the 35 years the Refugee Admissions Program has been in existence, so don’t count on them to save America now, but you still have to try to get them to do something!  At least they must hold hearings on the Syrians and object to Obama’s high numbers.

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Chairman
Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID), Vice-Chairman

Rep. Smith (Lamar)
Rep. King (Steve)
Rep. Buck
Rep. Ratcliffe
Rep. Trott
Rep. Lofgren
Rep. Guiterrez
Rep. Jackson Lee
Rep. Pierluisi

Below is the Senate Subcommittee responsible for the Refugee Program, click here for the full Committee membership.

Senator Sessions, Chairman
Senator Vitter
Senator Perdue
Senator Grassley
Senator Cornyn
Senator Lee
Senator Cruz
Senator Tillis
Senator Schumer, Ranking Member
Senator Leahy
Senator Feinstein
Senator Durbin
Senator Klobuchar
Senator Franken
Senator Blumenthal

Those in red are already members of the Senate Jihad Caucus looking to resettle 65,000 Syrians ASAP.
*** The nine contractors who are paid by you, the US taxpayer, to resettle refugees and at the same time lobby for more refugees and more money for themselves!  There should be a law against using tax dollars to lobby for more tax dollars!