First it was Iraqis and soon it will be Afghans who call Michigan home…
Michigan Livehas done a very good job of analyzing refugee data and pointing out that Michigan is in the top five most ‘welcoming’ states in America when it comes to refugees, especially Muslims from the Middle East!
Michigan among top 5 states for most refugees in the last decade
Michigan received the fourth-most refugees of any state in the last decade.
Michigan admitted 30,467 refugees from 52 countries since 2010, according to the U.S. Department of State, and more than half immigrated from Iraq. Michigan was a top destination for refugees during a spike caused by the Iraq War, and the state is expected to be a key player in the effort to resettle refugees seeking a new start after the Afghanistan War ended last month.
Texas, California and New York were the only states to bring in more refugees since 2010. Texas nearly doubled Michigan’s total with 59,878 refugees.
Michigan ranked 11th in the country for refugees per 100,000 residents. Plains states — North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Idaho — led the nation in refugees per capita.
Five states during the last decade — Texas, California, New York, Michigan, and Arizona — received one-third of all refugees resettled nationwide.
There is much more about other states too. This is a screenshot of an interactive map Michigan Livepublished. Go check it out.
One important point the Michigan story highlights is that refugees do move from where they were originally placed by a resettlement contractor.
They move to live with their own cultural groups, in other words, they move to be with their own kind of people. It is funny that no one calls them racist for that!
So once an enclave has begun to build, it will grow. Somalis to Minnesota is a case in point.
See my many posts on Michigan by clicking here. (And please use my search window as a starting point for your research.)
If you missed it, see a succinct summaryof how Biden’s first wave of Afghan evacuees (they are not legitimate refugees) are being categorized and where they will be placed (Nayla Rush at the Center for Immigration Studies).
Editor: Apologies from me for not being able to keep up with everyone’s requests for information. I am overloaded on all fronts as I try to maintain some balance in my life. Some of you have noticed that I have deactivated my Facebook page—yes, I have.
My e-mail boxes are full and overflowing! The very best way to reach me is to send a comment to this post if there is something you want me to see. I do review and moderate comments every day or so, and if you have sent me some information that is off topic, I won’t post it, but will see it.
Here is a post I wrote just now at ‘Frauds and Crooks’with this note from me:
Editor: I am posting this story here and at RRW today because it supports my recent harangue that you must get to work locally! There is no one coming to your rescue as the Open Borders agitators expand their reach into towns large and small across the country.
They are working day and night to change America by changing the people!
The only hope you have now is to fight against the Progressive Left where you live! Local elected officials can still be moved through public pressure. There really is no hope at the state or federal level right now.
The point you should take away from this story is that in addition to new refugees being illegally housed (newly arriving refugees are required to be placed in their own apartments or homes upon arrival, not placed in hotel rooms) is that the Michigan Lutheran refugee resettlement agency was working with the Muslim hotel owner who the city says was already in violation of fire and other safety codes.
For newcomers to RRW, there are nine federal resettlement agencies largely funded by you, the taxpayers, who work for the US State Department.
Each of those has many subcontractors. Your money flows through the nine down to hundreds of smaller organizations (like this Michigan subcontractor) making it very confusing for concerned citizens to know who it is that is changing their communities and it makes it almost impossible to follow the money.
Sterling Heights hotel in dispute with city alleges anti-Muslim, anti-refugee bias
The owner of a Sterling Heights hotel who is Muslim and of Pakistani descent alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that city officials targeted and drove him out of business because of his faith and ethnicity and because he had housed about 200 Syrian refugees.
But on the same day, a Macomb County judge ruled against the hotel in a separate lawsuit that had been filed by city against the hotel, agreeing with the city that the hotel had failed to meet safety regulations.
Asad Malik, the owner of Wyndham Garden on 15 Mile and Van Dyke and president of the Pakistani Association of America, says in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Detroit that after he started housing Syrian refugees in 2016, the city started to slap him with citations for violations of fire codes that he said other hotels with similar problems were not receiving. The hotel closed in September.
Malik purchased the hotel in 2014. He is an active member of the Muslim community in metro Detroit as a leader with the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit in Rochester Hills and meets with elected officials who have visited the mosque over the years.
The hotel was “opening her arms to refugees escaping from their war torn country,” his attorney Shereef Akeel, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Sterling Hotels, told the Free Press. “The last thing you would think is then one of our own cites shutting the door on them. And now, my client has had to pay dearly for their act of generosity.”
The hotel started taking in Syrian refugees in November 2016 [during the big Obama flood of refugees—ed] working with Samaritas, formerly known as Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, which helps resettle refugees.
Malik said he then received an email from the Sterling Heights city manager asking him: “Are there any Syrian refugees being housed at the Wyndham? A resident is alleging such at our council meeting.”
The targeted harassment started after that….
Keep readingto learn more about the complaint. The fallback position for a certain group of people is to cry DISCRIMINATION!
So where else is LIRS working to change America by changing the people?
This is something I need to do every time I write about a resettlement agency funded by you, in this case Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (the mothership) that passes its case loads to subcontractors like Samaritis.
Hereis where you can find out if a refugee agency in your city is affiliated with LIRS.
Below is a screenshot ofthe full list of subcontractors. Note how some have dropped the word “Lutheran” from their names.
The letter to the President was spearheaded by Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga and was clearly written with the aid of refugee industry lobbyists*** because it contains the language I see everywhere coming out of places like the Refugee Council USAand the federal resettlement contractors who depend on federal dollars for their supposed charitable work.
Republican Rep Bill Huizenga’s letter is boilerplate refugee industry lingo!
Claiming they fear we aren’t protecting enough people experiencing religious persecution they list wholly Muslim countries like Somalia and Afghanistan whose nationals they say we must admit.
But, there is not one word about persecuted Christians, which might have made their appeal to the President understandable at least.
Any day now the President will decide if the number for FY2020 will be 18,000, see here.
Below is Huizenga’s press releaseand the letter in its entirety.
Is your Republican member of Congress pressing the President for MORE third worlders for your Congressional District?
Huizenga: The Trump Administration Should Reconsider its Position on Refugee Resettlement
On Friday, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) sent a letter, with 16 of his Republican colleagues, to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regarding the need for the United States to continue to open its doors to refugees displaced by conflict and facing religious persecution. The letter is in response to the Trump Administration recently announcing its plan to reduce the number of refugees admitted to the United States to a record-low level of 18,000 people.
“America cannot lead from behind on the issue of religious persecution and refugee resettlement,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “West Michigan has a long standing tradition of opening its doors to those facing persecution as well as welcoming individuals who have been displaced because of armed conflict. Whether it is our faith-based institutions, non-profit organizations, or individuals within the community, West Michigan continues to set an example Washington could learn from. The Trump Administration should reconsider its position.”
The letter is available below.
Dear Secretary Pompeo:
Since our nation’s founding, the United States has served as a beacon of hope to those suffering from oppression and conflict across the globe. The Statute of Liberty perfectly encapsulates our outstretched hand, accepting the world’s huddled masses who yearn to be free. As the world continues to face an overwhelming refugee crisis, we respectfully urge you to uphold our nation’s commitment to assist individuals who have been displaced by violence and strife.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are approximately 20 million refugees worldwide with more than 50 percent being children. Among those, roughly eight million refugees are from Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Additionally, another 37,000 people are forced to flee their homes every day due to conflict and persecution in their home countries.
Continued U.S. leadership is critical in addressing ongoing humanitarian crises caused by civil war and persecution and in assisting displaced persons. One area where America can lead is by creating and protecting de-escalation zones near war-torn countries and providing humanitarian assistance to people in need. We must also continue to accept and care for refugees here in America.
In our communities throughout the country, there is a long history of opening doors to assist refugees. Local leaders, faith groups, and businesses have come together to create an environment where refugees are welcomed and receive the services necessary to learn English, find employment, and become part of the fabric of their new communities.
As such, we urge you to maintain the United States’ longstanding commitment to assist refugees with a special focus on assisting individuals hailing from nations facing the worst conditions possible. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Representatives who signed the letter led by Ken Buck (CO) include: Fred Upton (MI), Susan W. Brooks (IN), John Curtis (UT), Scott Tipton (CO), Doug Lamborn (CO), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Steve Stivers (OH), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA), John Katko (NY), Dan Newhouse (WA), Rob Woodall (GA), Chris Stewart (UT), and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL).
In July, Congressman Huizengaspoke out against eliminating the refugee resettlement program when reports circulated that the Trump Administration was considering such a proposal.
If you live in the district of one of those members and disagree with their pressuring the President, you need to let your representative know.
When they sign letters like this they assume it is a freebie for them. They will get brownie points from Open Borders Inc. and suffer no down side.
It is your job to be sure they know there is a downside. You could write a letter to your local paper critical of their stance on refugees. Be sure to attend town halls when they are home campaigning so you can ask them in public to defend their position on refugees.
Maybe ask them why you, the taxpayers, are paying for it all but have no say in where they will be placed, and most importantly ask why we aren’t taking care of our own vulnerable Americans first!
*** A final comment on the subject of lobbyists. The refugee industry has lobbyists galore. Not just the Refugee Council USA but every one of the nine contractors has either formal lobbyists (Catholic Bishops and Lutherans for example) and informal lobbyists who help identify soft touches on the refugee program.
Some one, or several, draft a letter like this, and it is the lobbyist working with their principle author, in this case Huzienga staffers, who run around Capitol Hill with the draft letter to get co-signers. It might require reaching back to the district to get some influential church group, interfaith group, Chamber of Commerce types who then also call the member to encourage their support for the letter.
Those of us who want to see the US Refugee Admissions program slowed, reformed or dumped outright have no lobbyist on the Hill!
“Samaritas is incredibly excited to be partnering with Wayne County and Wayne Metro for this important project that will create opportunities for affordable transitional housing for the New Americans families in our care.”
(Samaritas CEO Sam Beals)
This must be Michigan day for me. Earlier at ‘Frauds and Crooks’I wrote about all of the ‘new American’ doctors going to prison there for ripping off taxpayers and fueling the Opioid Crisis!
Now comes news that Wayne County (of course!) is building housing to accommodate impoverished refugees in partnership with Samaritas. What! All low income Americans in Wayne County have homes!
And, it won’t cost the county a dime because the money is coming via Washington, DC’s famous money tree—-you and me!
Hamtramck’s federally funded Freedom Village will be right here!
Freedom Village, a safe haven for refugees, planned in Hamtramck
Hamtramck — Wayne County is working to aid refugees fleeing their war-torn countries for new lives in Michigan with a safe haven they are calling Freedom Village, officials announced Monday.
The county is partnering with Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Samaritas and the city of Hamtramck to create the resettlement designed to provide refugees and immigrants with transitional affordable housing.
Construction of three two-family homes to house six families on Faber in Hamtramck is underway and is expected to be completed by summer 2020, county officials said.
The program was created to provide a better life to low-income refugees and immigrants by surrounding them with resources to eventually pursue permanent homeownership opportunities, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said.
“We are a welcoming county that derives its strength from the diversity of its residents, and this project epitomizes that core value,” Evans said in a statement.
The Hamtramck project will develop newly constructed, affordable houses on Wayne County Land Bank-owned parcels in the city.
After the parcels are cleared, Wayne County will assemble the properties for the Hamtramck Refugee Resettlement project.
Under the agreement, the new construction will be at no cost to the city of Hamtramck. It will increase the taxable value of the vacant lots, bringing them back onto the tax rolls and contributing revenue to the city, officials said.
Wayne County Metropolitan Community Action Agency will serve as the property developer and owner, and Samaritas, a resettlement agency, will place refugees and provide further services.
Those darn Lutherans in the housing business (again)! You need to know that Lutheran Social Services of Michigan rebranded and became Samaritas in 2016.See my post:
Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, rebrands, no longer wants to be tagged as Lutheran
Earlier LSS got into some housing hanky-panky here.
CEO Beals is doing well by doing good. See Samaritas IRS Form 990. Beals is making over $300,000 a year working for the Lutheran ‘charity.’ https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2017/381/360/2017-381360553-0fe410b2-9.pdf
Back to the Detroit News,
CEO Sam Beals said Samaritas, which has helped resettle families in Michigan for 70 years, couldn’t be more excited for the unique partnership.
“Samaritas is incredibly excited to be partnering with Wayne County and Wayne Metro for this important project that will create opportunities for affordable transitional housing for the New Americans families in our care,” Beals said. “Having beautiful builds like this one, appropriately called Freedom Village, in Hamtramck is much needed and a great location for this project as a welcoming city in metro Detroit.”
[….]
More than 600,000 foreign-born individuals live in Michigan, and of that, more than 70% live in southeast Michigan, according to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
[….]
County officials did not disclose the cost of the program but said it’s being funded with federal housing dollars through Wayne County HOME Investment Partnerships Program, a federal grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Development.
Samaritas is a $100 Million a year operation and received over $30 million in taxpayer funded grants in one recent year. Now they are in the federal housing business. Hmmmm!
