Tag: Office of Refugee Resettlement

Wanted: US Muslim families to “adopt” kids from camps

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Muslim kids of course.

Sheesh, and I thought the burgeoning ‘unaccompanied minors program’ of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (in the US Dept. of Health and Human Services) only took in kids who had come across our borders or had been abandoned by their parents when the family came across the border.  Now, we learn we are plucking ‘kids’ (16, 17, 18 year olds?) from camps elsewhere in the world, who supposedly have no parents/no family, and bringing them to the US.  And, you are paying for this!

Linda Hartke, CEO of Lutheran Immigration Services, will help facilitate the Muslim “adoptions.”

I recently mentioned the astronomical size of this program, here, in my report on the Lancaster meeting, and wondered about the huge number of kids I thought were coming across the borders.  Now we know they aren’t just ‘finding their way’ to the US on their own!  And, notice the word “orphan” isn’t being used.  This is what I learned in Lancaster:

In 2012, 14,700 kids arrived in the US without parents and in 2013 the number is expected to be 20,000.

Thanks to Creeping Sharia for tipping us off about this story at the Muslim Link:

It  has been nearly six months since the U.S. Government launched the Action Plan on Children in Adversity at the White House.  [here is a link to the Obama Administrations Action Plan—ed]

[….]

The Action Plan represents the first-ever whole-of-government strategic guidance for the U.S. Government’s international assistance for children.

[….]

The Joint Council on International Children’s Services, a Virginia-based NGO has been working for decades on the pillar of advocating for children in family care – especially for those around the globe who may be growing up on the streets or in orphanages or other institutions.

[….]

In the greater Washington DC area, government agencies identify refugee youth overseas (often living in camps outside of their country of origin) who are eligible for resettlement but who do not have a parent or a relative in the US. Due to their age (under 18), these children are placed into the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program and receive refugee foster care services and benefits.   [Ahhhh!  What about a parent or relative right there in the camp?—ed]

One of these benefits is placement in a compatible home with matching ethnicity, language, and religion where possible.  The placing agencies are always seeking families to volunteer to help these teens by providing a home as they are receiving schooling (which may have been interrupted in their country of origin or while they were living in a camp) and be involved with their case-specific programs with an aim to helping them achieve eventual independence by their early 20s.

So we could see a youth  of 17 or 18 (who says he has no parent) plucked from a refugee camp for Syrians brought to the US to be “adopted” by an American Muslim family and then when he turns say 21, he just becomes one more alien on the path to US citizenship who will also be able to bring in his family who will surely be ‘discovered’ at about that time!

And, to top it off, the family who “adopts” the teen gets paid by you—the American taxpayer—to care for the child!  Some racket!  And, look who is here—LIRS and the USCCB (getting paid to make the arrangements)!

The two leading placement organizations, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, are especially keen to work with the Muslim community in our area since it is likely they could find matches for many of the children enrolled in the program. Specialized training in helping these children adjust to their new life and situation is a part of becoming involved as is a background check.  Financial support for participation is provided.   [Yippee!  They will get paid for their “charitable” work!—-ed]

I sure hope LIRS and the USCCB are doing some really good screening of American families—sure would hate to hear about a sexual abuse charge or a slavery charge (wasn’t it only a week or so ago a Saudi woman was charged with keeping aliens as slaves?)

Photo:  More on LIRS and Hartke’s Baltimore digs. See ‘Don’t break our rice bowls!‘

 Have a look at a recent Form 990 for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, page 9. They had income in that year of $31,653,748 and, of that, you, the taxpayers of America, gave them $30,376,568.  Their CEO makes $204,186 in salary and benefits.  (Doing well, by doing good!  Hartke’s bio is here.)

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

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

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”

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

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.

EEEK! “Pockets of resistance” to refugee resettlement have developed; ORR hires ‘Welcoming America’ to head off more

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is the second part of my report from the Pennsylvania Refugee Conference which I attended earlier this week in Lancaster, PA.  If you haven’t read my earlier report it might be useful to check it out and then come back here for part II.

One of the many things that I found revealing about the conference was that problems with the program to resettle over 100,000 “refugees and asylees” to your towns and cities each year was not discussed (your classic hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil!).  There was no direct discussion about problems with assimilation, tensions in communities, crime problems, cost to local communities, school conflicts, housing shortages for refugees etc. except for one session dedicated to how to silence people who might like to complain—the keynote speaker talked about how ‘Welcoming America’ was working to get YOUR minds right about your new refugee neighbors (and, they received a federal grant from ORR to do it!).

Before Susan Downs-Karkos from ‘Welcoming America’ spoke, we had been alerted by the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Director of Placement, Mitiku Ashebir that  (gasp!) “three pockets of resistance against new arrivals” had developed.  He assured the gathering it was not widespread and that Pennsylvania, thankfully, was not one of them.   Drum roll please!  Here are the pockets of resistance and Mr. Ashebir’s brief description of the unwelcoming problems:

New Hampshire—some mayors have problems, said Ashebir

David Lubell, founder of ‘Welcoming America,’ doing work for George Soros!

Georgia—budget reductions for some service providers

Tennessee—they want to control arrival numbers!  Imagine that!

But, Welcoming America is on the case!  They want to “transform” communities by “Building a Nation of Neighbors”!

Downs-Karkos described her organization’s job as “promoting understanding and support for refugees.”  The whole concept is that YOU must improve your attitude to your new neighbors, not that the refugees must learn to fit into American society.  We are a Nation of immigrants, they are coming, so get used to it was the basic message.

The refugees and immigrants are the seeds and your community is the soil into which they are being planted is how she described what is happening.  Her group is working on improving the soil.

She said ‘Welcoming America’ was created by David Lubell of TENNESSEE who had successfully launched ‘Welcoming Tennessee’ a few years ago where he mobilized support for refugees in Nashville and Shelbyville and promoted the propaganda film—Welcome to Shelbyville.  If you are a new reader here you might want to visit our many posts where we traced the history of that deceptive film from its origin when a Hard Left documentary film group was funded to visit Shelbyville (where community tensions had developed around a large influx of Somali refugees who had arrived there to work for Tyson Foods)–-it is a classic case study in how to produce propaganda.

“Is everything perfect in Tennessee now?” asked Downs-Karkos.  No, she answered herself, “but it is improving.”  Really?

Follow the money!

Here is a summary from Welcoming America’s website about how the organization got its start (with the help of George Soros).  Our friends in Tennessee will be amazed at the spin about their state! “Changing communities” indeed.  I wonder does David Lubell understand what just happened in Manchester, TN last week?

The history of ‘Welcoming America’:

In 2005 the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), inspired by the Iowa campaign’s message and approach, started to make plans for a “Welcoming Tennessee Initiative” (WTI). Since launching in 2006, The Welcoming Tennessee Initiative – the model for all subsequent welcoming initiatives – has substantially improved the climate for immigrants within the state. Statewide polling by Middle Tennessee State University has demonstrated an increase in positive opinions towards immigrants, and thousands of Tennessee residents have become active supporters of Tennessee’s increased diversity as a result of the project. In 2009 WTI was awarded the E Pluribus Unum Prize for exceptional immigrant integration initiatives.  [LOL! an award!—ed]

The success of Welcoming Tennessee inspired several additional immigrant support organizations across the country to follow its lead. In July of 2007, seven organizations interested in starting Welcoming campaigns met  to combine efforts and expand Welcoming campaigns past Tennessee. Hosting the meeting was Four Freedoms Fund, a funding collaborative that has played a crucial role in the formation and development of Welcoming America.

Here is what Discover the Networks says about the ‘Four Freedoms Fund’ listed as one of many groups directly supported by George Soros’ Open Society Institute.  Soros, as longtime readers know, is pushing to “change” America by swamping the country with third worlders. He can’t have you fighting the “transformation.” Therefore, “Pockets of resistance” must be stopped now!

Four Freedoms Fund: This organization was designed to serve as a conduit through which large foundations could fund state-based open-borders organizations more flexibly and quickly.

Longtime readers know that Soros has had his proteges installed as Asst. Secretaries of State for Population, Refugees and Migration throughout the Obama Administration.   Type ‘George Soros’ into our search function for more.

A chuckle for Tennesseans—Tom Negri is on the board of ‘Welcoming America’!   You may remember the story from back in 2009:  Negri, who manages the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in downtown Nashville (hotels need cheap immigrant labor and that’s why so many are behind open borders), broke a contract just days before a conference that I and others (from around the country) had registered to attend saying we might be a danger to their other guests.  Maybe the Muslim protesters would be a danger, but not us!  The conference went on peacefully at another “welcoming” hotel!

Negri’s move was a stupid one because it just confirmed for all of those who knew about it (including thousands of readers of Newsmax) what dirty tricks the open borders advocates and Lefties are willing to use to silence speech they don’t like!

Bottomline is that ‘Welcoming America’ is spreading throughout the US–they are “community organizers” with affiliates in twenty plus states, here.  If you are in one of those states, sign up for the group and begin learning what they are planning for your community.  And, then spread the word!

For new readers:  If you would like to learn more about those pockets of resistance in New Hampshire, Tennessee and Georgia, simply type the state name into our search function and dozens of posts will be available.  Also, note that we have a separate category on Nashville (50 posts!) because it has been such a controversial site for refugee resettlement (by Catholic Charities!) and Islamic activism.