Tag: Refugee Admissions Program

Anti-Trump RINO Pushing Biden’s 125,000 Refugees-a-year Agenda; says it will Strengthen America

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

“The United States’ posture toward immigrants, asylees, and refugees during the Trump administration has damaged our nation’s security. Much of this damage is from xenophobic rhetoric….”

“Restoring and strengthening the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is critical for our national security.”

“Congress is going to have to work quickly to provide the budget and necessary funds to process 125,000 people.” 

(Elizabeth Neumann speaking about her report Robust Refugee Programs Aid National Security)

 

From the time he came down the escalator, I have been a Trump supporter and continue to this day, but from the beginning of his term in the White House I thought one of his great failings was to not fully understand how staff appointments are everything in Washington.

When I saw some great people who were completely loyal to Trump never even getting an interview in those early days because he had clearly turned over the staffing job to a bunch of Washington, DC Republican insiders, I figured he was in trouble.

A few tough knowledgeable conservatives in the various key agencies could have gone to work sniffing out those Republican pretenders who would go on for years undermining his Presidency.

One of those is Elizabeth Neumann at the Department of Homeland Security who claims she supported Trump at the outset in 2016, but eventually went on to join the political rats—Republicans who promoted the demented Joe Biden, who Neumann now believes will keep America safer by admitting hundreds of thousands of refugees over the next four years (if he makes it to the White House).

See her pre-election anti-Trump ad claiming that Trump is a racist and encourages white nationalism:

The former DHS muckety-muck’s pedigree is here at wikipedia:

Elizabeth Neumann is an American former civil servant. In the Trump administration she served from 2017 to 2020 as a senior advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to DHS Secretary John Kelly and Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke, and as DHS Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention and Security Policy to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan, and Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf.[1][2][3][4][5] Starting in 2003, she served on the Homeland Security Council in the George. W. Bush administration.[1][6]

In August 2020 she made an ad for Republican Voters against Trump in which she endorsed the presidential candidacy of Joe Biden and called Trump’s language and actions “racist” and believes “America is less safe” due to Trump’s failure in leadership.[2][4][5] With another former Trump administration official, Miles Taylor, she formed Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform (RePAIR).[4] The group’s stated mission is to “return to principles-based governing in the post-Trump era”, calling for a change in leadership for the Republican party, and supporting the candidacy of Joe Biden in the 2020 US presidential election.[4][7][8][9][10]

News about Neumann’s Report is at Fox40:

Restoring US refugee program will require substantial funds, commitment from Biden

This is what they do! They write glossy ‘robust’ reports and hold press events around them in order for the lapdog media to disseminate their propaganda.

Neumann and her ilk, without proof, claim that by admitting large numbers of refugees to the US we are somehow strengthened as a country and that the rest of the world is looking up to us and that somehow we get brownie points for being such nice people.

Yeh, maybe the nice people in the world think we are nice, but a large chunk of the world thinks we are chumps for being so foolish as to invite poverty, disease and potential terrorists to spread out among the population of middle America.

Ever notice that China NEVER invites refugees to dilute their Chinese culture and society.

And, in all the years I have been following the issue of refugee resettlement I have never seen a concerted campaign (any campaign!) by the UN and its ‘humanitarian’ gangsters to go after China for not inviting the world to live there.

Is China weaker because they are unwelcoming?

Here is Newmann spouting pablum:

“Restoring and strengthening the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is critical for our national security. The United States has a storied history as a global leader and beacon of hope in providing refuge to individuals fleeing persecution. Our moral and humanitarian leadership in welcoming refugees sets an example and encourages other countries to do so as well. It is time to reaffirm the long-standing principle that admitting refugees to the United States is in our national interest. Admitting refugees has not only a foreign policy benefit but an economic one*** as well. Together these benefits strengthen our national security,” the report says.

***Economic benefits accrue to globalist corporations who want to hire cheap labor and who probably paid for this report to be written.

Read it all here.

Here is a story I haven’t had time to mention, but see that internally the Open Borders pushers, including Ali Noorani (National Immigration Forum), are squabbling already.

Church World Service, One of Three Federal Refugee Contractors Suing Trump Funded from US Treasury

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 1 Comment

Just like the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), Church World Service, representing some major churches in America,*** do not want you, taxpaying Americans, to have any say in which impoverished third worlders are placed in your towns and cities.

Read all about the lawsuit to put a roadblock before Trump’s September Executive Order that although far from perfect, at least acknowledges that heretofore you have had no say in the demographic future of America.

Nine contractors working with the US State Department make the decisions!

Church World Service CEO Rev. John L. McCullough (far left) was arrested along with CAIR’s Nihad Awad on the Capitol steps last month. https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/2019/10/13/cair-church-world-service-others-plan-civil-disobedience-at-us-capitol-this-week/

 

As promised yesterday I’ve had a little look into Church World Service’s finances and say once again, if they were a true religious charity, not receiving any taxpayer dollars, we would have no quibble with the sources of their money, or how they spend it.

However, in the case of CWS they are even more heavily funded by you and me than is HIAS and so we have a right to know how our money is being used.  

As I said earlier today, tell your children to grow up to run ‘non-profit charities!’

CEO Rev. John McCullough pulled in over $1 million in compensation in just the last 4 years—lucrative work if you can get it!

Here is a run-down of CWS’s finances from their last four years of Form 990s filed with the IRS.

BTW, for new readers, it was CWS’s activities in my rural county in 2007 that ‘inspired’ me in my investigative work that has become my passion.

And, you should know that CWS also advocates for Open Borders for illegal aliens. (See right)

2015 (Obama year)

$50.1 million from government grants

$25.1 million from other sources of income

Total income: $77.8 million (other smaller sources of income included)(Conservatively 64% federally funded because some of their other smaller amounts of income are from taxpayers too.)

$27 million passed through to other organizations

$16.3 million paid in salaries (salaries do not include other payroll expenses)

$316,714 CEO (McCullough) compensation (includes other compensation from the organization and other related compensation)

 

2016 (Obama’s top refugee ‘welcoming’ year)

$61.3 million from government grants

$24.7 million from other sources of income

Total income: $88.5 million (69% federally funded.)

$29.5 million passed through to other organizations

$15.5 million paid in salaries

$333,626 CEO (McCullough) compensation

 

2017 (Trump takes over 3 and 1/2 month into the fiscal year)

$68.4 million from government grants

$24.6 million from other sources of income

Total income: $95.8 million (71% federally funded)

$41 million passed through to other organizations

$16.3 million paid in salaries

$345,366 CEO (McCullough) compensation

 

2018 (Trump year)

$39.3 million from government grants

$23.8 million from other sources of income

Total income: $66.1 million (60% federally funded.)

$20.9 million passed through to other organizations

$13.3 million paid in salaries

$353,220 CEO (McCullough) compensation

 

Interesting trend line!  Unlike HIAS whose budget is growing via private money under Trump, CWS’s is declining (sharply from 2017 to 2018, no wonder they are ticked off).

However, despite the wailing when Trump came in, CWS had an exceptional year in 2017 when it was 71% federally funded.

But the best fun fact is that as the organization’s resources declined in 2018 (closed offices and reduced staff), the Reverend McCullough’s compensation continued an upward climb.  Hmmmm!  Doing well by doing good!

*** Find out if your church is a member congregation of CWS, see here.

Legal Group Suing Trump is Taxpayer Funded Too!

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is how progressives do it!  They set up overtly political organizations masquerading as simply humanitarian enterprises and get most of their operating capital from taxpayers!

When I wrote yesterday’s post about the three refugee resettlement contractors, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Church World Service and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service***, hiring a legal firm to sue the President over his September Executive Order, I wondered who funded the International Refugee Assistance Project?

The lawsuit aims to stop the Trump Administration from taking local citizens concerns into account when the feds (with their paid contractors) place refugees quietly into communities large and small.

They will argue in court that refugee law already has a process for taking local concerns into account, but if they think the quarterly consultations are sufficient, let me tell you they are not!

At the local level the contractors and their government supporters do everything in their power (including locking doors and changing meeting locations) to block attendance of critics of the program.

And, of course quarterly consultations are done after the town or city has become a resettlement city.  There is no process in place to give citizens an opportunity to speak up before the city has been chosen.

As I said yesterday, I suspect this is all about attacking Trump AND raking in more money for the organizations bringing the suit.

Here is what you should know about the International Refugee Assistance Project created just last year and headed by Becca Heller.

They are a project of a New York City-based supposedly charitable organization called the Urban Justice Center, set up over three decades ago to protect vulnerable poor people in New York.

Here is what wikipedia reports:

Another warrior for the poor who rakes in hundreds of thousands in compensation annually!

The Urban Justice Center is a non-profit legal services and advocacy organization serving the New York City area. It is known as an incubator for progressive programs and initiatives and for being a significant legal presence in the struggles of New York’s poverty stricken and minority populations.

[….]

The UJC sponsors the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), which works to organize law students and lawyers to develop and enforce legal and human rights for refugees and displaced persons. They have offices in New York City, Jordan, and Lebanon. IRAP is a plaintiff in the 2017 decision International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump and co-counsel in Darweesh v. Trump. [Someone will need to update wikipedia with their latest stop Trump case—ed]

The Urban Justice Center is largely funded with taxpayer dollars!

According to the most recent Form 990 available, the UJC pulled in $19.4 million in government grants in a total income stream that year of $31.2 million, making them 62% taxpayer funded!

Tell your kids to grow up to be CEOs of non-profit ‘charities!’

Head honcho Lasdon received $224,873 in direct compensation and another $8,995 in other compensation from the organization or related organizations.

I’m chuckling as I recall telling a young friend who worked for peanuts for another NYC charity for poor people to look up how much the CEO was making.  My friend was shocked and didn’t stay much longer….

*** In case you think I’m picking on HIAS, I’ll shortly have my posts done on CWS and LIRS!  They are even more heavily funded by you—the taxpayers of America!

As October Ends, No New Refugees Admitted to the US

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 1 Comment

It is extremely rare for an entire month to pass with no refugee admissions and needless to say the refugee industry spokesmen are not happy.

No refugee arrivals means no per head payments for the contractors!

We reported earlier that two different dates were given for resumption of taxpayer-funded flights of refugees to arrive in the month of October.  CNN is now reporting that the first refugees of FY2020, which began on October first, might not get here until November 5th.

No refugees will be resettled in the US in October, leaving hundreds in limbo around the world

Washington (CNN)  The United States is on track to not admit any refugees in October, after already canceling around 500 flights this month, CNN has learned.

A pause on admissions that was expected to lift on Tuesday will now extend into November, leaving those who expected to resettle in the US in limbo. It also means additional travel will need to be canceled and re-booked at the expense of federal taxpayers.

That previous line gave me a chuckle—they are worried about taxpayer expenses!  Since when?  And, by not bringing any refugees in October taxpayers were spared at minimum a quarter of a million to a million dollars in just the cost of resettlement, let alone the initial cash handouts and social service (aka welfare) expenses the refugees incur upon arrival.

CNN continues….

Danielle Grigsby interim Director of the refugee industry’s DC lobbying office and PR firm, Refugee Council USA, told CNN that the delay was “unconscionable.”

The moratorium will run through November 5, according to a State Department spokesperson. “We will work with our implementing partners to plan for a resumption of refugee arrivals, including rescheduling travel for those affected by the extension,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

It’s the third time this month that the State Department has delayed refugee admissions. Travel for refugees who were told they could come to the US was postponed through October 21, and then later to October 28. There’s usually a pause in arrivals the first week of October.

The Trump administration has proposed capping the number of refugees allowed into the US at 18,000, a historic low. But in order for refugees to be admitted in the new fiscal year, President Donald Trump has to sign off on the refugee ceiling. The consistent delays in travel suggests Trump has not signed it yet.  

The latest travel delays come as the humanitarian crisis in Syria worsens.

More here.

Limbaugh on Trump and Middle East refugees!

I never got a chance to post it, but this seems like a good time.

Trump gave a speech on October 23rd about the US pulling back in Syria and here is what Rush Limbaugh said about Trump and his comments.

Right on!

He gave a mini-barn-burner here. He ripped into Obama. He ripped into previous presidents for a bunch of basic dishonesty in committing American troops around the world. He pointed out that the Middle East has become more unstable as more troops have been deployed. The wars have never ended.

And he made a great point, that as we have continued to send troops to these areas of the Middle East and as the chaos in these areas has ratcheted up, guess what else has happened at the same time? We have opened our borders to more refugees and more immigrants. And Trump says these days are over.

We’re not gonna go sponsor chaos and then say out of compassion, “Well, come here,” and open our borders. We’re not falling for this anymore.

This is exactly why Trump got elected.

He made it very clear what the game has been.The State Department, the permanent Washington establishment commits American troops to little skirmishes here and skirmishes there, and nobody ever wins because they never end. We recycle troops. We sell more ammunition and more weapons. The areas become war-torn and unlivable and the people that live there flee, and they go to Europe and some want to come here.

At the same time, we open our borders, we open our borders to more illegal immigrants, and we open our borders to more refugees, and he said these days are over, this is not gonna happen any longer in announcing this permanent ceasefire.

More here.

Will Trump stick with the 18,000?  Guess we will find out shortly.

Sixteen Republican Representatives Tell President they Want More than 18,000 Refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ 10 Comments

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 USA and 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 release and 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 Huizenga spoke 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!