Federal officials visit refugee-overloaded Lewiston, ME: we feel your pain, but isn’t much we can do

This is a bit of old news from January that I just came across today.  I hadn’t seen it, so I figured you might not have either.

Laurence Bartlett (DOS) and Eskinder Negash (ORR) listen to complaints in Lewiston, ME. Photo: Scott Taylor Sun Journal

Seems that head honchos from the US State Department and the Office of Refugee Resettlement traveled to Maine (and elsewhere) to calm the locals.

But, how many times have we been told that everything is copacetic in Somali-overloaded Lewiston?  If everything was just peachy these two wouldn’t have bothered to go there in the first place.

From the Lewiston Sun Journal:

LEWISTON — Federal immigration and refugee resettlement policies will continue to be felt by local communities, federal officials told a roomful of city and social agency representatives Wednesday.

Eskinder Negash, director of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Larry Bartlett, director of the Office of Refugee Admissions, discussed immigration policies at Lewiston City Hall.

It was part of a two-day trip through Maine, one of many similar meetings held around the country* throughout the year. A similar meeting was held Tuesday in Portland.

Desired by whom?

Immigration policy is shaped by two factors: a desire to help less fortunate people and fiscal realities at home.

The humanitarian industrial complex wants more refugees, but it’s up to local folks to pay for it and tolerate the cultural upheaval!  That is not exactly the words used, but that is what they are saying!  To me, the “humanitarians” are like little children who want more stuff regardless if Mommy and Daddy have the money to pay for it.

When the “humanitarians” say jump, the feds ask, “how high?”

“There is no greater responsibility than that (which) we get from community leaders to make sure refugees get the support they deserve,” Bartlett said. “But there are many pressures from the humanitarian side of our country to grow this program.”

Too bad that some cities “find themselves” in a tough place!  We are willing to listen but that’s about all we can do!

Cities such as Lewiston find themselves in a tough place with little federal support when refugees begin calling it home.

“In some ways, we have a challenging program and you feel the effects on a community level, and we have to thank you for that,” Bartlett said. “We don’t have all the answers and that’s why we have these discussions to hear what the problems are.”

For local officials, the biggest problem is a lack of federal aid for education, English language and other resettlement programs.

Heck, the State Department doesn’t have money to give to communities (only to our contractors!), and it’s up to the state to decide how much money to send to struggling overloaded towns.  Sun Journal story continued:

Bartlett said his office, part of the State Department, has no programs designed to help at the local level. Negash, whose office is part of the federal Health and Human Services agency, said there is federal help, but it’s limited.

“The money goes to the state,” Negash said. “The money always goes to the state, and the state has all the discretion it needs to use the money.”

Bartlett:  We just carry out the will of Congress.  We feel your pain, but not much we can do about it.  Criticize us, but ain’t nothing gonna change!

Those funding and policy priorities are decided by Congress, the officials said.

“This is the way this country has designed this program to work,” Bartlett said. “We know it works, but it’s not perfect and we accept criticism willingly.”

Readers, if you live in overloaded refugee resettlement hotspots, you must complain to your Member of Congress and US Senators.  And, don’t be afraid of someone calling you a racist! This is one more of a long list of state’s rights issues abused by Washington.

* By the way, not long ago we reported on the ‘we-feel-your-pain roadshow’ to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

For new readers, click here for our extensive archive on Lewiston, ME.  Be sure to see this post on Maine as a welfare magnet and the role of Catholic Charities in bringing Somalis to Maine in the first place.

For our Maine readers, your Senators Angus King and Susan Collins want MORE refugees and immigrants.  They both voted for S.744, the amnesty bill.

ORR to open regional offices to oversee resettlement of more diverse refugees, and to get them “services”

They want to “advocate for services in the best interest of refugees.”   What about the taxpayers?

Readers, I know it can be boring as heck to read about the minutia involved with the US Refugee Resettlement Program, but it’s important to have some knowledge of how the bureaucracy works.  I learn new things every day!

Former refugee Eskinder Negash, Director of ORR, formerly a VP at contractor US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Apparently in response to bumps in the road with resettlement, the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Dept. of Human Services will soon open five regional offices.  The offices will help guide the myriad agencies involved in getting services (welfare benefits) and such to refugees.  And, it is assumed, to help stem the growing tide of resistance by communities which cannot afford more impoverished refugees.

Thanks to a reader for directing us to Eskinder Negash’s most recent letter to State directors and other “stakeholders” (I hate that word).

If you are new here, you might want to see our updated ‘Refugee Resettlement Fact Sheets’ linked above in our header.  We also have a ‘where to find information’ category.

This is the letter (in its entirety) posted at ORR’s website.  Thanks to a reader for directing us to it.

TO: State Refugee Coordinators
State Refugee Health Coordinators
National Voluntary Agencies
ACF Regional Administrators
Other Interested Parties

FROM: Eskinder Negash
Director
Office of Refugee Resettlement

SUBJECT: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Regional Offices

Background

Since 1980, when Congress created the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the mandates of ORR and consequently, the resettlement network have expanded.  While ORR historically resettled a wave of refugees at a time, from a specific country, due to a specific conflict, today ORR resettles refugees from over 60 different countries of origin in a given fiscal year.  ORR now also serves asylees, special immigrant visa holders from Iraq and Afghanistan, certain Amerasians, victims of trafficking, survivors of torture and unaccompanied alien children.  Over the past 30 plus years however, although ORR’s populations, programs and grantees have expanded, ORR’s office and staff predominantly remain centralized in Washington, DC.

Through sections 412(a)(2)(A) & (B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Congress showed its intent of having ORR regularly consult with state and local governments and nonprofit voluntary agencies concerning the sponsorship process, strategies for placement, and policies for refugee resettlement.  Additionally, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its most recent report “Greater Consultation with Community Stakeholders Could Strengthen Program” echoed the sentiment of Congress by emphasizing the importance of outreach and engagement at the local level, and specifically recommending that the Department of Health and Human Services (through ORR) collect and disseminate best practices related to refugee placement and engagement with community stakeholders.  Moreover in State Letter #10-09, ORR named outreach as one of the six guiding principles to effective resettlement, specifically outreach to various organizations and stakeholders, to identify opportunities for collaboration in the best interests of refugees.

ORR is located within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).  ACF operates ten regional offices to oversee the administration of ACF programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Care, and Head Start, in a given jurisdiction.  ORR is one of only several remaining offices within ACF that does not have a regional presence to oversee the administration of one of its main programs.  In 2006, ORR’s Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) program began operations with a field presence.  Today the UAC program has 23 Federal Field Specialists in six states across the country where UAC shelters and programs are concentrated.  In terms of refugee programs, over the past few years, ORR has endeavored to increase consultation and engagement with regional stakeholders, by promoting collaboration between ACF Regional Administrators and the resettlement network, and by introducing the resettlement network to ACF regional programs.

Today, the refugee resettlement program faces new opportunities and challenges some of which include: accessing and maximizing benefits for refugees under the Affordable Care Act and operating under a tightened fiscal environment.  In order for refugees to succeed, it is vital to strengthen the resettlement program; to have strong advocates at the federal, state and local levels educate mainstream social service agencies and governments about ORR populations, and convene meetings to promote linkages with mainstream stakeholders.

ORR Regional Offices

After thoughtful consideration, ORR has decided to establish regional offices.  ORR regional offices will be physically located within ACF regional offices.  With a regional presence, ORR can partner with State Refugee Coordinators, State Refugee Health Coordinators and Ethnic Community Based Organizations to advocate for refugees; specifically ORR can work to educate stakeholders, promote collaboration, gain knowledge to inform policy and advocate for services in the best interests of refugees.  [Who is going to advocate for the taxpayers?—ed]

ORR will open up to five regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and San Francisco (and potentially additional regional locations).  ORR staff will serve as regional representatives and will work with most states within that ACF region (see ACF Regional Map).  The ORR regional representatives will report to the Division of Refugee Assistance (DRA) within ORR.

Please direct any questions on this State Letter to Mitiku Ashebir, Division Director of DRA at mitiku.ashebir@acf.hhs.gov or Ken Tota, ORR Deputy Director at kenneth.tota@acf.hhs.gov.

Where are they sending refugees?  Will your town be next?

Last month I attended an ORR meeting in Lancaster, PA and Mitiku Ashebir referenced a meeting in July between the US State Department and the ORR and he called it a “joint quarterly placement meeting.”  I said this in my post:

….the feds are having ORR-PRM joint quarterly placement meetings.  The next one will be in July.     Before any new site is opened (usually because some contractor thinks it would be a good place), ORR-PRM will visit the site together and decide if it will be “welcoming.”

I have twice e-mailed Mr. Tota to ask where and when the meeting will take place and have had no response.

More from the Office or Refugee Resettlement’s year in review

Did you know that we pay for day care centers offering “appropriate cultural competency!”  What happened to the idea that refugee kids should assimilate into our culture?

A week ago I reported that the Director (Eskinder Negash) of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Department of Health and Human Services had sent out a 5-page e-mail report on how the ORR fared in 2012.  Here is more from that letter.

Do you have day care centers in your town?  You know! the small entrepreneurial ones run by a stay-at-home mom or maybe an older woman whose kids are grown.  Wouldn’t putting immigrant kids in those day care programs help integrate the kids into American culture?

And, do you think those small American home-based day care centers get FEDERAL GRANTS AND MICRO-LOANS to get started?  I doubt it!

According to Director Negash, refugee women do get federal (your!) money and support to set up their businesses.  This is from his year-in-review e-mail:

At the inception of the Microenterprise Development – Home-Based Child Care program in FY 2011, ORR awarded 13 grantees in 13 states grants totaling $2.225 million per year for two years. The primary goal of the program was to assist women refugees to become economically self-sufficient and integrated into the mainstream. A secondary goal was to expand home-based child care business options for other refugees, to enable them enter the workforce with confidence that their children are being cared for by individuals possessing appropriate cultural competency. ORR is pleased to see the overwhelming successes achieved by this new program thus far, encouraging continued support and expansion of the grant: in FY2012, ORR increased funding to the program, raising it from $2.225 million to $5,752 million, and offering grants to a total of 34 agencies.
During the first year of the project, the original 13 grantees have collectively:

* Enrolled 879 refugee women in the program;

* Trained 745 refugees;

* Helped 172 refugees obtain business licenses;

* Assisted 160 refugees to start home-based child care programs

* Created 1,061 childcare slots for children;

* Paid $249,000 in grants to partially cover business startup costs, and assisted the home-based child care owners to obtain an additional $208,000 in subsidies;

* Helped 207 refugees find and secure jobs, and

* Taken 79 refugees off public assistance.

Wow!  We trained hundreds, paid out millions of dollars and got 79 refugees off public assistance all the while assuring the kids were cared for by appropriate culturally competent caregivers.

End of the year greetings and review from the Office of Refugee Resettlement

The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement headed by a former VP of a federal contractor (USCRI), Eskinder Negash, recently sent out a very informative end of the year review for 2012.  They were busy, busy, busy in Washington, but still no time to get the three missing annual reports to Congress completed.   The ORR is legally required to send Congress an annual report about the program within three months of the close of the previous fiscal year.  They are now in violation of the law for all of the years of the Obama Administration!

Here is Director Negash’s greeting that came to me in an e-mail (it is actually 5 pages long so more analysis will follow in subsequent posts).  Emphasis below is mine:

Two thousand twelve was a very busy and productive year for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), with an astonishing level of accomplishment made possible through the exceptional collaboration of agencies and volunteers who make the United States Refugee Program a true public-private partnership. On behalf of ORR and the people it serves, we thank you for your support and look forward to continuing this good work and collaboration in 2013.

While we got off to a slow start with overseas refugee arrivals last year due to changes in clearance procedures for refugees, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and its partners ultimately served more than 115,000 new arrivals in Fiscal Year 2012, including over 62,000 refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders, more than 40,000 asylees and Cuban/Haitian Entrants and Parolees; nearly 500 Victims of Trafficking, and an unanticipated doubling of the number of Unaccompanied Alien Children over last year.

The United States welcomed refugees from more than 80 countries across the globe this past year. The highest number of overseas arrivals mirrored those of the past few years, with Bhutanese (15,000) and Burmese (14,000) comprising more than half of all arrivals, followed by refugees from Cuba, Iraq, and Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia rounding out the top ten arrival groups.

Highlights of ORR’s activities and achievements for Fiscal Year 2012 are included here; for additional information about these and other issues, please visit the ORR website, or contact ORR directly.

Sincerely,
Eskinder Negash
Director

Readers take note that the “clearance procedures” referenced above involve security screening for refugees after the revelation that Iraqi refugees in Kentucky turned out to be terrorists, here.

Also, pay attention to the fact that the asylee numbers are growing as the refugee numbers decline.  Asylees got into the US and then asked to stay.  They don’t come with the more rigorous screening we are told refugees are subject to.

The newest racket!

As for those unaccompanied kids,* illegal aliens have now figured out that racket.  Get your kid (teens! but younger as well) across the border, abandon them, and the federal taxpayer will care for them until they are 18.  At that point they simply become part of the US population (and LOL! demand instate college tuition rates).  Here is one egregious story we heard from Texas earlier this year, and here is Governor Rick Perry on what that program is doing to Texas.  By the way, the kids are not technically refugees but this is just one more effort to bring immigrants (mostly economic migrants) of all sorts under the “refugee” umbrella in a perversion of the original definition of a refugee.

* Update!  Here Negash says it was 13,000 illegal immigrant kids in 2012 that the ORR took care of!