Tag: Lutheran Social Services

WND: Will Wyoming cave to wishes of Governor and invite refugee agency to set up shop?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

As regular readers know Wyoming is the only state in the nation that does not have a refugee resettlement contractor working to bring in third-worlders.

At the same time the US State Department, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS) and their contractors are always scouting out fresh territory as they wear out their welcome in some overloaded locations where they say “pockets of resistance” have grown.

Tweet the Gov!

Recently the Wall Street Journal reported that Somalis were moving to Wyoming anyway—looking for greener pastures for social services.  We reported that news here.

Now, World Net Daily’s Leo Hohmann (see our archive of some of his detailed coverage of the refugee program by clicking here, Hohmann was one of the first major reporters to reveal how much federal money the “church” contractors are receiving) has done an investigative report on a subject of great interest to RRW—the plans by Republican Governor Matt Mead to bring diversity to Wyoming.

However, when Wyomingites got word of the plan all hell broke loose and the Governor is now reportedly just “exploring” the plan to turn over some of Wyoming’s sovereignty to the feds.

Here is Hohmann’s report posted last night:

The Republican governor of Wyoming, the only state that does not participate in a federal program to resettle United Nations refugees, is considering jumping into the fray despite recent problems with Muslim refugees becoming radicalized in Minnesota and Massachusetts.

Gov. Matt Mead has requested information on the U.N. program that assigns refugees displaced by war and ethnic conflicts to various host countries. The U.S. accepts more foreign refugees than all the rest of the world’s countries combined, a State Department official told WND, and many of them come from worn-torn Middle Eastern countries like Iraq and Somalia.

WND reported last month that a new wave of Muslim refugees will be coming to American cities soon from Syria, up to 75,000 of them over the next five years.

The fact that Mead is checking into the program has fueled controversy in the nation’s least-populated state, which is also 85 percent white.

Facebook pages have popped up and local newspaper editorial pages have been abuzz with questions about Mead’s decision to “explore” the possibility of opening an international refugee resettlement office in Gillette that would be operated by a Lutheran agency serving as a government contractor.

 The topic of refugee resettlement for Wyoming became a primary election debating point for Mead:

At a July 15 debate with Haynes, Mead, a former U.S. attorney for Wyoming who was elected governor in 2010, insisted no decisions had been made on whether to start a refugee resettlement program.

But Mead sounded like a man who’d made up his mind to pursue a refugee program when he sent a Sept. 5, 2013 letter to Eskinder Negash, the director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In that letter, a copy of which has been obtained by WND, Mead informed Negash that “The State of Wyoming has elected to pursue a Public-Private Partnership model of a Refugee Resettlement program and to participate in that program through the Office of refugee Resettlement (sic).”

Mead went on to write that “This formalizes the work of the many interested persons and organizations across many years. Wyoming will designate a Refugee Resettlement Program Coordinator in the near future.”

Continue reading, there is a lot of good stuff in here that applies to your community as well.

Pay attention to the issue of secrecy surrounding the Wyoming plan by the would-be Lutheran contractor in addition to the lack of information about the real cost of the program to local taxpayers.  By the way, you will see that the spokesperson for the governor is still peddling the illusion that bringing in the Lutheran agency means they are dealing with a private church group instead of the reality—Lutheran Social Services Rocky Mountains is an arm of the federal government!

Then near the end, Mike Elmore, a Gillette area rancher echos the sentiments of virtually every critic of the refugee resettlement program run by the US State Department (UN!):

 “I’m not a bigoted or racist person, but we have our own problem, here in Gillette, we’re one of the best cities in Wyoming, but what are we looking for, unskilled labor? I’m concerned that the U.S. at this point in time can’t be everybody’s keeper. Let’s take care of our own people first.

Read it all and be sure to check the comments!

Click here for all of our coverage of the Wyoming (Gov. Mead) controversy.

New York Lutheran church may house alien children because the church is broke

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Update August 20th:  What do you know, change of plans, “children” not going there after all.  Hat tip: Robin

A “financially troubled” Lutheran Church on Long Island riled the community of Commack recently when it said it was considering housing some of the ‘unaccompanied alien children’ flooding the US border in recent months.

A NYC fire fighter who lives next door said:  “It’s basically going to be a hotel right next to my house.”

Lutheran church in Commack, NY could become a “hotel” for the unaccompanied alien children. http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2014/aug/16/plan-send-immigrant-kids-ny-church/

Who put them up to it—-Lutheran Social Services of New York *** which says it has the bucks to pay (an affiliate of the big kahuna Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service).

From Newsday (hat tip: Caroline):

A Lutheran church in Commack may host some of the tens of thousands of immigrant children illegally crossing the United States’ border with Mexico mainly to reunite with family here, the church’s pastor said Tuesday.

The financially troubled Holy Cross Lutheran Church had to cancel a meeting last week after outraged neighbors packed the church to protest the proposal, but Rev. Dennis Walker said the congregation is still considering it and hopes to meet in coming weeks to decide.

Walker said community opposition was being fueled by misinformation about the proposal, and he hopes “people will reconsider in a more rational light. This is minimal impact on the community with substantial benefits” such as jobs for workers who would remodel the building to create the living quarters.  [Here is one of my questions, if the “children’s” border surge ended tomorrow and the church had already been remodeled, then what?  Would it house other migrants of some sort?—ed]

The proposal calls for about 40 children, 4 to 17, to be housed at the church at any one time between seven and 30 days, Walker said. The children would be in transit from federal immigration detention facilities to relatives in the New York area, and would leave only for medical appointments or other important issues, Walker said.

So who does have moola (federal cash!)?

The proposal was brought to the church by Lutheran Social Services of New York, the Manhattan-based agency that would cover cost for the renovation, using federal funds.

Nearby residents firmly oppose the idea. “It’s scary,” said Sheryl Cambria, 35, a special-education teacher at Lindenhurst High School. “I have two little kids. Who’s to say my house is going to be safe?” New York City firefighter Michael Cantwell, 44, said, “It’s basically going to be a hotel right next to my house.”

Not just in Commack, New York, but from sea to shining sea, this is what it is all about, the good pastor admits—

—they get money (your tax dollars) and get to “do the Christian thing!”  Who can beat that!

Walker said the Commack church is in dire financial straits after a day care business stopped renting space in June.

The immigrant children program could bring in $8,000 to $10,000 a month, help pay off a $25,000 debt — and allow the church to do the Christian thing, he said.

***According to Guidestar, Lutheran Social Services of New York does not file a Form 990 tax return with the IRS because it says it’s exempt as a “church.”  I’ve seen that occasionally over the years (of course, it’s a way of hiding their financials from the public) and wonder that the ACLU isn’t interested in examining this situation—federal money flowing directly to a church (and not a “religious” IRS-approved non-profit group).  Hmmm!

Any forensic accountants following the money trail?

Endnote:  The AP has a longer story posted on this past Saturday, here.  Note that the AP reporter tried to talk with someone at Lutheran Social Services of New York (offices on Riverside Dr at the “God Box” where God is a Leftwinger) and they refused to comment.

For more on ‘unaccompanied minors’ here at RRW, click here.

Lancaster Lutherans run job placement service for African refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

But, of course they are paid by you, the federal taxpayer, to provide the service.

I guess the Lancaster, PA area has run out of Americans looking for work and so Sudanese “refugees” who traveled through Libya, Egypt and the Ukraine are now working at an egg processing plant there.

There are some interesting nuggets in this story that obviously riled up local commenters (check out the comments before they disappear!).  I was struck again about how we (the US) have picked up “refugees” that have traveled through safe countries (not including Libya) and didn’t ask for asylum in say the Ukraine and wherever else they must have passed through.

REBECCA ZEMENCIK/staff photo

Be sure to check out the part of the story where the three Arabic-speaking men were dropped off by a driver in the wrong PA community and didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome.

From the Republican Herald (thanks to several readers for sending it):

SPRING GLEN – R.W. Sauder Inc., a fourth-generation family company, has returned to the Hegins Valley.

As of Jan. 1, R.W. Sauder Inc. has taken over Hegins Valley Farms and have all eight bird houses filled and fully operational. Unfortunately, the business was having difficulty filling all the positions in order to have the Hubley Township plant fully operational.

A trip to a Lancaster gym by Paul Sauder paid off in more ways than one both for both himself and his company.

“My dad was working out at the gym and got talking to this man who works with Lutheran Refugee Services in Lancaster,” Mark Sauder said. “He learned of refugees that are here from various places in the world and who need employment.”

Sauder met with Lutheran Refugee Services in Lancaster and was introduced to a program that works with companies to find gainful employment for refugees and help them to get established here in the states.

Lutheran Refugee Services resettles approximately 180 refugees to the United States [they must mean to Lancaster because the Lutherans actually resettle thousands to America every year—ed]. Refugees are individuals who are forced to leave their country because of war or persecution. In order to gain admittance to the United States, refugees must prove that they have not fought or aided in military action, but rather are victims of the conflict.

According to LRS, refugees arrive in the U.S. with a status that allows them to work. After five years, they will be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.

Currently, LRS is resettling refugees from Iraq, Burma and Sudan. LRS assists them for their first 90 days in the country. The goal is for all refugees to be self-sufficient at the end of that time. Because some refugees need time to learn the language and culture enough to gain employment on their own, LRS is also funded to provide assistance with their job search beyond that time. Refugees can come back to the agency for the assistance any time within their first five years in the country.

Three men from Sudan – Alhadi Gouma, Norreldin Ali and Ismaeil Shrif – are now gainfully employed at R.W. Sauder Inc.’s Hubley Township plant.

Sorry, it never rings true to me that these ‘frightened’ men are willing to leave wives and children behind in the supposedly dangerous area they came from.   No, I should rephrase that, what kind of man leaves his wife and children in danger?

“We have been in the United States for the past eight months,” said Shrif, who left his wife and other family members in order to seek a better life. “It was very scary in the Sudan. There was much killing and burning, the men in the area were constantly in danger.”

Shrif said the men traveled to Libya, Egypt and Ukraine in order to finally escape.

“I still have contact with my wife in Sudan and hope to bring her to the states,” Shrif said.

Don’t forget to read the commentary!

We have a lot on Lancaster here at RRW, click here for our complete archive on the preferred resettlement site.

Refugee contractors launch PR campaign! Refugees don’t cost local taxpayers a dime!

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I’ve seen several stories cross my desk in the last few days like this one from North Dakota—Lutheran Social Services trying to dispel “rumors” that local/state taxpayers are on the hook for refugees placed in their towns and cities.   

The Lutherans are trying to get their hooks into Wyoming.  Could that be the motivation for this campaign!

Here is the story from WDAY.TV that makes me laugh!

Fargo, N.D. (WDAY TV) -It’s a number that may surprise you. Every year, 400 some refugees make their way to North Dakota.

I love it how they leave the impression that these Africans/Middle Easterners/Asians etc.  just “make their way” to a place like North Dakota—they are in North Dakota because Lutheran Social Services has a lucrative contract with the US State Department (federal taxpayers!) to bring them there and drop them off!

Tonight, Lutheran Social Services held a forum at Fargo Public Library to educate people on refugee integration into the community.

Event organizers say they wanted to dispel the rumors that local tax payers are footing the bill for new Americans.

Of course, some of the cost of refugees rests with local taxpayers!  Who else is paying for the education of the refugee kids but local taxpayers, not to mention the costs to local health clinics and the demand put on local subsidized housing that would normally be available to American low-income citizens.

What did the murder trial of Omar Mohamed Kalmio cost the taxpayers of North Dakota? What will his life sentence cost them? http://www.vdare.com/posts/immigrant-mass-murder-again-somali-quadruple-murderer-is-sentenced-in-north-dakota

And, let’s not forget the cost to local police and county court systems when refugees break the law.  Here is just one case—Somali mass murder in North Dakota—that you know cost local taxpayers a bundle and presumably will cost North Dakota a bundle for his incarceration.

Readers might want to visit this breakdown of the costs of refugees in Georgia showing the federal and state share of the cost (prepared by Refugee Resettlement Relief).  North Dakotans should be asking their state legislature for a similar accounting.

WDAY.TV continued:

Instead, they say, Social Services offers a federally funded program to help refugees.

Yes, sure!  And, the federal funds grow on trees in Washington.  What about federal taxpayers (are North Dakotans not federal tax payers?).  From our fact sheet (here):

The federal programs available to them include:

∙ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) formerly known as AFDC
∙ Medicaid
∙ Food Stamps
∙ Public Housing
∙ Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
∙ Social Security Disability Insurance
∙ Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) (direct services only)
∙ Child Care and Development Fund
∙ Independent Living Program
∙ Job Opportunities for Low Income Individuals (JOLI)
∙ Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
∙ Postsecondary Education Loans and Grants
∙ Refugee Assistance Programs
∙ Title IV Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Payments (if parents are ⌠qualified immigrants – refugees, asylees, etc)
∙ Title XX Social Services Block Grant Funds

Then do they think that citizens are this stupid?  Refugees live on $335 a month for 8 months!

Kavidhe Gundale, Lutheran Social Services: “They get only 335 dollars per month, for 8 months. They have to pay the rent, they have to pay for the gas and everything. “

Good luck North Dakota!

Every year 300 refugees will call Fargo, 90 in Grand Forks and 10 in Bismarck.

While we are on the subject of who is paying for all this, have a look at the most recent Form 990 for Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, here.

In the most recent year available, they had total revenue of $12 million (rounded number) and $8.4 million (70%) came from you via federal grants and contracts.

Here is how most of that was spent (rounded numbers):

$465,000 for current directors and officers compensation

$6.7 million for salaries

$223,000 for pensions

$762,000 for other employee benefits

$1.2 million office expenses

$715,000 travel (who knew ND was that big!)

$124,000 conferences

They would not exist without taxpayer dollars!

St. Cloud meeting: Opportunity for all to ask questions

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is a simple notice in the St. Cloud Times that alerts citizens that there is an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about how St. Cloud now ‘finds itself’ as a primary resettlement site for refugees.

Community Organizer Mohamoud Mohamed of SASSO helped make St. Cloud a primary resettlement site for Somalis. He was also involved in the Gold n’ Plump lawsuit.

When we first began writing RRW, St. Cloud was a city that secondary migrants (initially resettled somewhere else in the US) went to looking for meatpacker employment, but along the way the contractors and the US State Department began resettling refugees in St. Cloud directly from the third world.  See this 2010 post.

I know it’s difficult because when you ask questions (even polite questions!) the Lutherans and others will say you sound racist, but if you live in the area and can get there, it is important for citizens with concerns to not stay silent.   Make them answer questions that you have researched in advance so that you know basically what the answer is.  It is the best way to expose the veracity of their answers.***

From the St. Cloud Times:

Lutheran Social Service will discuss issues affecting the refugee community in St. Cloud in the first of a quarterly event.

The consultation is a chance for the agency to provide updates and to receive feedback regarding the refugee resettlement process.

Refugees, churches, local government, community agencies, schools, employers, landlords and anyone else who would like to attend are invited.

The event will take place from 1:30-3 p.m. Dec. 11 at the St. Cloud Public Library in downtown St. Cloud.

*** Now, if you plan to attend the meeting, go to our extensive archive on St. Cloud and read from our earliest post in May of 2008.  It is a wonderful history of how community organizers are reshaping St. Cloud (and Minnesota generally).

Learn about Mohamoud Mohamed at RRW and search for his activities on the net.  The photo is from this story.

Check out the news last week that Somalis want their own radio station in St. Cloud to broadcast to their people, here, in Somali!  Will Minnesota be the first Muslim state in America, some are making that prediction.

And, be sure to read about the money bags running Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota on the taxpayer dime!