Tag: Refugee Council USA

State Department and refugee lobby group work on private sponsorship scheme to get more refugees into the US

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Update October 19th: More on this scheme. Remember the purpose is to get more refugees in to the country because this private scheme would be in ADDITION to the present system.
So, as it is described by one commenter: Instead of buying a $10,000 car in the coming year, what the heck adopt a Syrian refugee instead.
I would be a proponent of private sponsorship if it accompanied the complete abolition of the present system that involves middlemen federal contractors (the VOLAGs) being paid billions of tax dollars, and required the sponsor to pay for all costs associated with the refugees for a year or two. Congress would, of course, have the final say on numbers, security screening and nationalities permitted entry to the US in my hypothetical re-write of refugee law.

matthew-lacorte
Matthew LaCorte (one of the brains behind the plan) thinks $10,000 will get him a refugee—what for a month or two! Then what? The refugee he sponsored is on us!

But, this plan, which they are apparently hatching within the State Department and in cooperation with the Refugee Council USA (the resettlement industry’s lobbying arm), is a plan to bring in additional refugees over and above what Congress is willing to pay for.
(For those of you who think we have no impact, this indicates to me that the industry knows there are limits to how much of your money the Congress is willing to shell out to bring hundreds of thousands of impoverished refugees to your towns.)
This really is a pretty audacious concept since they apparently think they can do this ‘in house’ and not involve rewriting refugee law.  (Congress writes the laws, or have they forgotten?)
Here is the jaw-dropping (Bloomberg, of course!) story at the Chicago Tribune (hat tip: Julia):

Americans might be able to bring a refugee to the U.S. on their own dime if talks between the Obama administration and the nation’s leading refugee advocacy group come to fruition.

The State Department is considering a pilot program that would let citizens sponsor a refugee from their country of choice by paying for airfare, housing, clothing, food and other resettlement costs. Conversations began in July and are expected to continue in the coming year, said Naomi Steinberg, director of the Refugee Council USA.

The program, modeled after a similar one in Canada, is designed to crack open new sources of funding as growing anti-refugee sentiment in Congress threatens to cut resettlement programs.

“It puts Americans in the driver’s seat,” said Matthew La Corte, policy analyst at the Niskanen Center***, a Washington-based libertarian think tank that was an early supporter of the program. “It allows them to say ‘I have a spare bedroom. I was thinking of buying a new car but I’ll instead take that $10,000 and put it toward bringing a Syrian refugee over.”‘

[….]

Such a program would mark one of the biggest structural changes to U.S. refugee policy in three decades, and would allow Barack Obama or future presidents to skirt opposition by shifting financial responsibility to everyday Americans.

[I’m all for shifting all of the costs to those who are promoting refugee resettlement—ed]

[….]

For fiscal 2016, Congress appropriated $3.1 billion for refugee and migration assistance programs, the same level as two years earlier, according to figures from the agency.

Private sponsorship “is a good option in terms of increasing numbers without increasing budget outlays,” said Kevin Appleby, senior director of international migration policy at the Center for Migration Studies in New York. [Appleby was formerly the lobbyist in DC for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, we have a lot on him here at RRW—ed]

storella_197_1
State Department’s Mark Storella: we will be working on it this coming year (when Hillary gets to the White House). Photo: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/bureau/259069.htm

Refugee Council USA and the state department began talks about private sponsorship this summer, said Steinberg, director at the Washington-based agency, which is an umbrella group for 22 organizations.

The State Department plans to work on the issue “in the year to come,” according to a statement from Mark Storella, a deputy assistant secretary. [Looks like they are pretty confident Hillary will be in the White House.—ed]

[….]

Before any program is launched, critical points must be addressed, said Steinberg. The group wants to ensure that sponsorship does not replace existing government programs.

“The only private resettlement program that we could support would be one that increases the number of refugees who arrive in the U.S., while at the same time maintaining and even strengthening the U.S. government commitments,” Steinberg said.

Continue reading here.

*** What is in it for the libertarians at the Niskanen Center—cheap refugee labor for big business? Would someone tell me!

Resettlement industry wants 100,000 Syrians in FY17, 210,000 total refugees and billions more from Congress

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Just to recap, Obama’s final ‘determination’ sent to Capitol Hill a week ago calls for a ceiling*** of 110,000 refugees from all over the world for Fiscal year 2017 which begins in 8 days.  He did not indicate how many of those would be Syrians but recently we learned that 20,000-30,000 would likely be Syrian Muslims.

the National Clean Energy Summit 7.0 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on September 4, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Political and economic leaders are attending the summit to discuss a domestic policy agenda to advance alternative energy for the country's future.
Hillary and John Podesta (working for George Soros) started the Center for American Progress and you can bet if she gets in the White House, the two of them will open the floodgates to the third world. http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printgroupProfile.asp?grpid=6709

Thanks to Richard at Blue Ridge Forum for spotting this story at the Center for American Progress (CAP) where the resettlement contractors and their friends spell out what they really want. 
They want the 110,000 to be a floor and not a ceiling and they want 100,000 Syrian Muslims on top of 110,000 other refugees.
They also drop some astounding numbers about how many billions of dollars they want from the REPUBLICAN Congress.
Here is the story from earlier in the week:

After a slow start in fiscal year 2016—in which, by the end of May, the United States had only resettled one-quarter of its stated commitment of 10,000 Syrian refugees—the administration announced on August 29 that it had hit its target. According to the administration’s report to Congress laying out its 2017 resettlement goals—the “Proposed Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2017”—the administration now believes it will surpass its original goal, bringing in up to 13,000 Syrians by the end of September.

Most importantly, the report to Congress makes clear that the United States will surpass even the commitment made by Secretary of State John Kerry in September 2015 to bring in 100,000 refugees in FY 2017: It raises the target for resettlement in FY 2017 to 110,000 refugees.

[….]

Human Rights First, for example, has called for the administration to admit 100,000 Syrians next year in addition to 100,000 refugees from the rest of the world.

Whatever number of Syrians the administration ultimately decides to admit, it should view the commitment to resettling 110,000 total refugees in FY 2017 as a floor, rather than a ceiling, and should do everything in its power to increase the number of refugees admitted.

They know what we have been trying to say for weeks! Congress has the power to slow the invasion if they want to because the resettlement contractors have virtually no money of their own. 

They need your money to change your towns!

CAP continues:

Funding is critical, and the ball is in Congress’ court

While the Obama administration has stepped up to raise the numbers of refugees to be resettled, Congress has not, to date, provided a corresponding increase in the funds available to ensure that these individuals are able to resettle smoothly, find livelihoods, and become self-sufficient soon after arrival—a key goal of the U.S. refugee program.

The funding Congress appropriated for FY 2016 was based on an estimate of only 75,000 refugees being resettled. When the administration raised its target to 85,000 refugees, Congress did not increase the funding to match. This means that over the past year, the government has had to resettle more refugees with fewer funds. To make matters worse, Congress will most likely only fund the government for the remainder of the calendar year using a continuing resolution—a stopgap, short-term funding bill rather than a full-year appropriation—likely holding the amount of funding for resettlement to FY 2016 levels. This will become all the more difficult to sustain as the number of refugees admitted grows to 110,000.

Take the Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR, as an example. This agency helps integrate newly arrived refugees into American life and society, providing financial and medical assistance, social work and case management, and language and job training programs. It also has primary responsibility for the housing and care of unaccompanied children who arrive in the United States. In FY 2016, the ORR received a little less than $1.7 billion to accomplish these tasks. With an increase in the numbers of both refugees being resettled and unaccompanied children arriving, however, ORR’s budget is stretched thin.

The Refugee Council USA (mentioned below) is the lobbying arm of the resettlement industry in Washington.

The administration’s FY 2017 budget, based on the original goal of resettling 100,000 refugees, calls for the ORR to receive about $2.2 billion, while Refugee Council USA—the main umbrella group for organizations working to resettle and protect refugees—has called for the ORR to receive $2.95 billion. Either way, Congress must come together to provide more funding to the agency.

The Continuing Budget Resolution as it now stands has barely half that much and we are urging Congress to cut even more deeply.
Keep calling them and tell them that you know they, the Republican leadership, hold the cards—not Obama!
We have written a lot about the Refugee Council USA and also about the Center for American Progress, so please use our search function if you want to learn more.
***On this ‘ceiling’ issue: for all the time I have been writing this blog, the industry has been working to make sure the ceiling is met. But, it is only a ceiling.  The President can, during the course of the year, go below the ceiling and in some earlier years a president has.  So it strikes me that if Donald Trump is elected, he could very well just (at minimum) go way below the ‘ceiling’ (tell his Secretary of State to slow it down) after he is inaugurated without even initiating a battle (over Obama’s last determination) in the opening months of his administration.

The refugee contractors want more refugees and more MONEY for FY2017 (Part I)

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

They have their eyes on the ball well before the DC Rally for Refugees kicks off on Sunday in Washington. In fact they are in the final stretch of Obama’s plan to change America by changing the people.

Obama and Paul Ryan
The ultimate question: Will Speaker Paul Ryan help Barack Obama resettle 100,000 (or more!) refugees to your towns starting October first?

Their campaign is a many months’ long effort that seeks to dramatically increase the money they want from you to bring in an even larger contingent of third worlders mostly from the Middle East, Africa and Asia beginning in October.
If you are in a community that has agreed to ‘welcome’ refugees for the first time, or one that is fighting hard not to be a new resettlement site, it is because the contractors and their friends in the Open Borders Left are pushing for 100,000 or more refugees to be seeded throughout America and they need new sites (existing ones are overloaded).
They are never ever satisfied with the numbers or the amount of money they receive.

I’m repeating myself I know, but I want everyone (including new readers who arrive here today) to understand that the way to save your town right now is to STOP THE FUNDING for FY2017 and there is only one place to do that—Congress!

2016_annual_calendar
There is little time left in the Congressional calendar as they all scurry home in October to campaign.

I know it’s often boring and complicated, but you all must wrap your minds around the budget and appropriations process starting now!
The contractors know the process well (heck they are up on the Hill every year looking for more money!) and have their sites set on the Appropriations deliberations that will be in full swing as soon as Congress returns on September 6th!  That is when the battle for your money begins in earnest.

We want robust funds!

Here is what the Refugee Council USA (the lobbying arm of the refugee resettlement industry) is telling its people in RCUSA’s Activist Tool Kit (hat tip: Richard at Blue Ridge Forum):
RCUSA:

Increased Funds Are Needed to Protect Refugees Internationally and Resettle Refugees in the U.S.

President Obama announced that the United States will resettle 85,000 refugees from around the world in Fiscal Year 2016 and plans to resettle 100,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2017. While an improvement from the 70,000 refugees resettled in Fiscal Year 2015, it is critical that even this relatively small increase in refugee admissions is accompanied by both increased international assistance and robust funds to ensure local communities in the U.S. have the resources they need to help refugees rebuild their lives. [What a joke, $ for local communities or money for their own salaries and offices?—ed] The Office of Refugee Resettlement has been chronically underfunded for years, and an infusion of resources is needed to meet both the increase in refugee admissions and the need for all refugees to have the opportunity to succeed in their new communities.

Window of Opportunity: Now until September 2016

From now until September, Congress is considering two sets of funding bills for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17 which covers October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017): a short term “continuing resolution” that will fund the government at Fiscal Year 2016 levels for a few months into FY17, and a new set of bills that would flat line funding for refugee assistance overseas and refugee resettlement in the United States for the rest of FY17. Under both sets of bills, the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) would remain at FY16 levels, despite the fact that the FY16 budget was calculated to resettle 75,000 refugees and in FY17 we anticipate serving 100,000 refugees. We seek increases for these accounts in both the short-term continuing resolution and the FY17 appropriations bills. Now is a perfect time to share information about the refugee crisis and let your Senators and Representatives know that you care about displaced people overseas and refugees resettled in the United States.

As we prepare for 100,000 refugees to be resettled in the United States in FY 2017, it is critical that refugee related accounts are increased in order to assist and resettle refugees. It is time to act with historic leadership and compassion and stand with those seeking safety and the opportunity to build a new life.

Anti-Refugee Sentiment

Utilizing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, individuals who oppose refugee resettlement are making their voices heard the loudest and most frequently to policy makers. Groups like Refugee Resettlement Watch*** are calling for an end to resettlement altogether, and are fostering hostile atmospheres for newcomers. Some governors have opposed resettlement to their states and various state legislatures have proposed legislation that would enact harmful policies. It is critical that policy makers learn about the importance of resettlement from refugees themselves and supportive community members. We want policy makers to support positive legislation and oppose proposals that would turn our backs on refugees and violate our values of welcome and hospitality.

***One of the funniest things I ever read was when Daniel Greenfield was labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and he said he looked around for his group and all he saw was his cat!
Read their whole toolkit by clicking here!
Be sure to see Part II tomorrow! Hint! Paul Ryan is target #1 but there are others too!

Here (below) are the members of the Refugee Council USA (federal resettlement contractors being paid by the head to place refugees in your towns are in red, they have a vested financial interest in bringing in ever larger numbers of refugees):

Member Organizations

 

Lobbying arm for refugee resettlement contractors wants US to take 200,000 refugees in FY2017

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

We have written often about the consortium of members of the refugee resettlement industry calling themselves the Refugee Council USA (RCUSA).  Go here for our archive on the group which includes the nine major federal resettlement contractors.
Thanks to reader Joanne for sending this recent statement from their Washington, DC office. They are, needless to say, thrilled that the Obama Administration is going to host a big pow-wow on refugees at the UN in September. (I hope Trump’s people are getting ready for this huge propaganda stunt!)

melanie-nezer
Melanie Nezer of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (one of nine federal contractors) is the present chair of RCUSA. She says 200,000 is the magic number for 2017.

As you read through this statement, remember that, in recent years, 70,000 was the target number for the refugees to be admitted to the US (from all countries).  In FY2016, Obama is shooting for 85,000 and then he signaled he wanted 100,000 in FY2017 (begins October 1, 2016).  (Yes, he has one more shot at dictating how many we take.)
If re-elected will Speaker Paul Ryan do a thing to stop the funding for this huge new number? Based on recent statements and last year’s actions, that is doubtful!

The Refugee Council USA is urging Obama to go for 200,000 (from all countries) for FY2017!

Refugee Council USA (RCUSA), a coalition of 20 U.S.-based non-governmental organizations dedicated to refugee protection, welcome, and excellence in the U.S. refugee resettlement program, commends the Obama Administration for coordinating the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees that will take place on September 20, 2016.

The Leaders’ Summit, as well as the UN General Assembly Summit on Large Movements of Migrants and Refugees on September 19th, are both critical opportunities for the U.S. and other members of the global community to show collective leadership by taking concrete steps to address the tremendous refugee protection needs that exist around the world, including right here in the Americas. This leadership must be demonstrated through concrete new commitments to expand and strengthen humanitarian assistance to refugees and the host countries carrying a disproportionate responsibility for them. But leadership also means demonstrating a resounding rejection of xenophobic and racist rhetoric that increasingly dominates global discourse around refugees today.

Yikes! So the US won’t be embarrassed in September, they want Obama to propose that 200,000 refugees be admitted to US beginning in October!  And, they want more $$$ for “services.”

The U.S. should commit to provide protection to 200,000 refugees through admission to the United States in FY17 through a combination of traditional refugee resettlement and additional legal, proven and secure approaches. At least 140,000 of these refugees should be resettled through the existing U.S. refugee resettlement program, with the necessary support for receiving and integrating them in American communities. To do any less would represent a U.S. commitment that falls short of the call made by the White House for a collective doubling of resettlement commitments in advance of the Summits.

The United States should also ensure that there is a commensurate increase in the social services and integration support [read TAXPAYER dollars!—ed] that are available to refugees as they start their new lives in this country.

 In addition to higher numbers, the U.S. should also demonstrate a commitment to a more equitable distribution of resettlement opportunities, ensuring that refugees in desperate circumstances everywhere have a chance of accessing this life-saving program.

Go here to read more.
And, remember readers, they NEVER quit!  It is all about changing America by changing the people! So, we can never quit exposing the facts and their real agenda either!

Jewish refugee contractor, HIAS, goes to the Hill (to lobby for more refugees and more $$$)

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Last week when we were all busy paying attention to the upcoming South Carolina primary and chuckling over the Pope sticking his nose in the 2016 Election process, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society was on Capitol Hill along with the other major federal resettlement contractors looking for approval and $$$ for more refugees (paying clients!) to resettle.
From HIAS website (hat tip: Joanne):

Rachel Nusbaum
Rachel Nusbaum is HIAS communication specialist, see here at Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelnusbaum

Today, instead of heading to the HIAS offices, I flagged down a cab and asked him to take me somewhere different. Capitol Hill, please. Senate side. [What, no subway? Are you using taxpayer money for your cab ride too?—ed]

[….]

I am on Capitol Hill right now along with not only other HIAS staff but with representatives from many of the top NGOs working on refugee issues. We’re here, pounding the pavement and filling the halls of the various House and Senate office buildings, for two days of intense advocacy organized by Refugee Council USA***, a coalition of 20 U.S.-based refugee protection NGOs.

Bringing in the “vulnerable” (and costly) ‘refugees’ (medical care for US taxpayers to pay for!):

Why is resettlement so important? Most refugees will remain in the country to which they first fled, until they are able to return to their home country. Only a very small number, about one percent, will be resettled to a third country. This small group is made up of the most vulnerable refugees, those who remain at risk even after fleeing their home country. This includes unaccompanied children, survivors of torture, LGBT refugees and people requiring medical attention not available to them in their host country. With so few resettlement spots and so many refugees, however, the need for resettlement far exceeds current availability.

It is maddening to know that, according to USA Spending.gov, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society received over $134 million from you since Obama took office, and HIAS, Inc. (its new name) has raked in another $58 million in that same time frame.  Are they lobbying on Capitol Hill on your dime? I bet they are!

***Refugee Council USA is the lobbying arm for the refugee industry.

We told you about them on many previous occasions. They supported the resettlement of 65,000 Syrians to your towns this year. Then subsequently upped the number to 100,000.
As we told you here last September, they have a lobbying kit in which they call-out RRW!  HIAS also authored a report urging that I be investigated (among others) by the Southern Poverty Law Center, see here.
This is from their grassroots lobbying kit:

Anti-Refugee Sentiment

Utilizing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslilm sentiment, individuals who oppose refugee resettlement are making their voices heard louder and more frequently to policy makers. Groups like Refugee Resettlement Watch and similar local groups are calling for an end to refugee resettlement altogether, moratoriums on arrivals to their areas, and fostering unwelcoming atmospheres for newcomers. It is critical that policy makers at local, state and national levels hear from refugees themselves and community members who support refugee resettlement, so they can ask questions, learn more about the importance of resettlement, support positive legislation and oppose proposals that would harm refugees.

Go here for more on the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society one of nine major refugee contractors: