Tag: refugee resettlement program

Phoenix police discover presence of refugee contractors in wake of murder of Burmese refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

First I came across a story about how the police in Phoenix, AZ  had gotten together with refugee resettlement contractors to find ways to communicate better with the city’s mushrooming multi-ethnic refugee population, and that’s how I learned about how two Burmese refugees were murdered with kitchen knives as they confronted what appears to have been a gang of Hispanics.  (Ah, the joys of multiculturalism!)

Police investigate the crime scene back in April. Two Burmese refugees murdered outside their apartment building by a gang of youths shouting “derogatory names.”

Here is the get-together story.  I am amazed that at a preferred refugee resettlement city like Phoenix police are just now learning about the resettlement agencies that must have been working there for decades.  It further confirms to me that in many parts of the US there is virtually no consultation and communication between the myriad government agencies interfacing with large new non-English speaking populations in  target cities.

Arizona is the sixth largest US resettlement state, click here.  (18,415 went to Arizona in under 6 years!)

From the Arizona Republic:

Tuoy-Giel, the president of the South Sudanese Community Association of Arizona, leaders of other refugee groups, resettlement organizations and Phoenix police met Thursday in an effort to enhance communication and partnerships between refugees and police.

Detective Luis Samudio said he organized the meet-and-greet hoping officers will learn more about how to better serve a growing refugee population. About 2,500 refugees come to metropolitan Phoenix each year, officials said.  [Readers: that is a huge number for a city to absorb each year.—ed]

Police were caught “by surprise” by the language barrier when two Burmese refugees were recently murdered, Samudio said. The police are calling the double homicide at a central Phoenix apartment complex a possible hate crime.

The refugee population is scattered throughout Phoenix with the majority located in three of the department’s eight precincts—Cactus, Mountain View and Central City, Samudio said.

[….]

Representatives from the four resettlement organizations in Phoenix gave a brief overview of the refugee community and tips on how to help them.  [Learn more here about Arizona refugee resettlement—ed]

[….]

Officers also can use the resettlement organizations as a resource as they have staff members who speak different languages and have translators on-call, she said ( Donna Buckles of Refugee Focus, formerly Lutheran Social Services.)

That story led me to the story (also at  the Arizona Republic) about the latest arrests  (three days ago) in the murder of the two refugees in April.

Police have arrested the remaining three people suspected of fatally stabbing two Burmese refugees in Phoenix two months ago, but they continue to hunt for the woman who drove the three to Nogales, Mexico, to escape prosecution, officials said.

Investigators arrested Cassandra Devore, 18, Daniela Stone, 17, and her brother Michael Stone, 16, in Mexico on June 19, according to police. The two juveniles are being charged as adults, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Ofice. Two others were arrested May 7.

The arrests last week brought an end to a manhunt that started in central Phoenix in late April in a murder case that prosecutors are considering as a possible hate crime.

On April 28, a group of three males and two females were suspected of chasing three Burmese refugees, a 21-year-old man and two 16-year-old boys, with knives and metal pipes near 29th Avenue and Camelback Road, court records showed.

Earlier two males from the group had confronted the refugees and taunted them with “derogatory names,” documents say.

The Burmese refugees ran back to the Serrano Village Apartments near 28th Avenue and Camelback Road to a unit where a wake was being held and told those inside that a group with knives was chasing them, police records showed.

Ker Reh, 54, and Kay Reh, 24,  stepped outside to talk to the group, which was trying to force its way into the apartment, according to police documents.

Police said they believe the group used “large kitchen-type knives” to stab the Ker Reh and Kay Rey to death. The group then fled the scene.

Hispanic mom drove her kids to Mexico to escape the police (police are still looking for her!):

Police on May 7 arrested Johnny Romero, 22, on suspicion of second-degree murder and Jonathan Tineo, 16, on suspicion of aggravated assault. Tineo also is being charged as an adult, according to Jerry Cobb, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Romero’s wife told police that Lovonne De La Luz Ruiz, 40, the mother of Daniela and Michael Stone, drove her children and Devore to Nogales the day after the incident to avoid arrest, according to records.

Possible hate crime:

Cobb said prosecutors can present to a jury that the defendants committed the crime out of malice toward a victim because of the victim’s identity such as race, color, religion or sexual orientation.

This is not new to us.  Tensions run high in rough multicultural neighborhoods where refugees are usually dropped off by contractors believing that the now mythical American melting pot will work its magic.  The melting pot is broken because the numbers are too high!

Terrible heart-stopping news! US considering taking Syrian refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment
Syrian refugee protesters at a refugee camp in Jordan. So Homeland Security is supposed to sort through this and only bring us the good people? Photo: Khalil Mazraawi – AFP/Getty Images

We’ve been suggesting for months (here) that this day would come when the US State Department would start making noises about bringing Syrian refugees to your towns and cities. 

But, as recently as a month or so ago a top State Department official told a gathering in Fort Wayne, Indiana that a population (he was answering a question on Syrians) had to have been “refugees” for five years before being considered for refugee status.  It sounded bogus to me!  Guess it was!

Below is the disastrous news at the Los Angeles Times. (Hat tip: Jim).  Just as the Senate is considering making it easier and more lucrative for government contractors to bring in larger numbers (more easily) of refugees and political asylees through S.744, we will be inundated with Syrians.  So, when you call your US Senators today about voting NO on the “comprehensive immigration reform” tell them NO Syrians either!   And, if you are thinking there might be some Christians in the bunch, I assure you we won’t single those out for resettlement!

Once they open the spigot, they open it wide!

Just for your information we have already brought 12,396 Iraqis to America in the first 8 months of FY2013!  Most of them are on food stamps, other public assistance and not working!

Los Angeles Times story recognizes the pitfalls, perpetuates some myths:

WASHINGTON — Two years into a civil war that shows no signs of ending, the Obama administration is considering resettling refugees who have fled Syria, part of an international effort that could bring thousands of Syrians to American cities and towns.

A resettlement plan under discussion in Washington and other capitals is aimed at relieving pressure on Middle Eastern countries straining to support 1.6 million refugees, as well as assisting hard-hit Syrian families.

The State Department is “ready to consider the idea,” an official from the department said, if the administration receives a formal request from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, which is the usual procedure.

The United States usually accepts about half the refugees that the U.N. agency proposes for resettlement. California has historically taken the largest share, but Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia are also popular destinations.  [See which states are the top resettlement states in the US and will be asked to “welcome” Syrian Muslims—ed]

U.N. refugee officials, diplomats and nongovernmental relief groups plan to discuss possible resettlement schemes at a high-level meeting this week in Geneva. Germany already has committed to taking 5,000 people.

Remember as you read this that Lavinia Limon worked for Bill Clinton and brought the Bosnian Muslims here and then the early Iraqis.  USCRI is a federal RESETTLEMENT CONTRACTOR, not a “service group.”

“It was probably inevitable that in this crisis, with these overwhelming numbers, governments would start moving in this direction,” said Lavinia Limon, chief executive officer of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a Virginia-based advocacy and service group. “But there will be resistance.”

The Obama administration supports rebels trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, but is wary of deeper involvement in Syria.

The issue is politically sensitive on several levels.

Congress strongly resisted accepting Iraqi refugees, including interpreters who had worked with U.S. forces, after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Most lawmakers share White House caution about getting more engaged in Syria and may have little appetite for a major influx.

The duo of Samantha Power and Susan Rice being involved is further evidence this will be a disaster for your town or city.

But Susan Rice, President Obama’s new national security advisor, and Samantha Power, Obama’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the U.N., both have been strong advocates for refugees. They may make the White House more receptive to at least a partial opening.

Much will depend on who (if anyone!) raises the security issues.  Honestly the only really possible opposition leader on this will be Senator Rand Paul who ‘gets it’ about the security risks after the discovery of Iraqi refugee terrorists found to be living in his home town of Bowling Green, KY!

Homeland security officials require careful vetting of refugees, with multiple interviews and background checks before they are allowed to enter the country. Under normal circumstances, the screening process can take a year or longer.

U.S. officials are likely to be extra careful with Syrian refugees. As Islamic militants take a more prominent role in the rebel forces, officials worry about fighters with Al Qaeda ties trying to enter the country. Two resettled Iraqis were convicted of trying to send arms to Al Qaeda from their home in Bowling Green, Ky.

The article goes on to report that Middle Eastern officials say the resettlement won’t be worth it if we and other Western countries don’t take tens of thousands!

Then we have some, pardon the expression, Bull S*** from the State Department:

Western officials try to discourage poor foreigners who are seeking a more comfortable life or business opportunities in the West. They say resettlement is only for those who can’t go home, and seek to dispel notions that an easy life awaits.

According to a State Department publication aimed at refugees, “Cars are not provided…. Most Americans value self-reliance and hard work. They expect newcomers to find jobs as soon as possible and to take care of themselves and their families.”   [67% of Iraqis are not working and 95% are on food stamps.  And, as for this business about cars, we don’t provide cars but YOU pay into a matching savings account that every refugee is allowed to set up and purchasing a car is one of the programs goals.—ed]

Another sensitive issue is who qualifies for resettlement. Western countries often prefer intact, well-educated families with familiar religious backgrounds. [Gee, that’s news!—ed]

But experts say 80% of the Syrian refugees are women and children, many with war-related injuries or psychological problems that could hamper finding work or going to school.  [These will be very costly refugees who will be bringing the men as soon as they can!—ed]

Please spread the word on this and tell your friends and family members to call their US Senators and say NO to S.744 and NO to importing Syrians! 

Please send this to your facebook and twitter friends!

Update June 11: UN wants Germany to take 10,000, here.  Next we will hear that the UN wants the US to take 50,000 when we have just committed to take 50,000 Congolese.

A message to NGOs: Do your good works elsewhere!

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Editors note:  This is one more in a series of statements presented to the US State Department for their hearing last week (May 15th) on the “size and scope” of refugee admissions for FY2014.  I will continue to post testimony from the hearing in between the pressing news of the day.  Between refugee terrorist stories and the US Senate bill S.744 (Senate terrorist stories!) I’ve been pretty distracted.   This forcefully delivered statement by Anne Turner of Maryland wrapped up the public meeting last week.   All other testimony that we’ve posted is archived here in our special category for the meeting.

Anne Turner (emphasis added is mine):

I come here today not as a member of an organization or a political activist but as a concerned citizen and fearful mother.  I am very much afraid for my country, for my family and for myself.  We have maintained an immigration policy in this country that has put all that I consider a treasure at risk.  There was a time when immigrants coming to this country respected our laws, understood our culture (wanted to be a part of it) and were equally proud to become Americans.  This is no longer the case.  All the chaos and violence that exists in the world today is being imported into our borders with no consideration for the destruction it is causing.  We are building our very own “Tower of Babel”.

I remember a time when I was able to visit a shopping mall with no sense of fear.  A time when I could get on an airplane and not feel my life was potentially at risk. A time when I could travel to a major city and not have to worry that there might be a terrorist attack.  A time when I would tell my children “let’s go to the 4th of July celebration” and now I tell them “stay home”.  The days are gone when I felt my life was my own, my home my sanctuary, and my country free.

Immigration policies, through this Resettlement Program, have been totally corrupted.  There has been collusion between this administration and the NGO’s with dangerous consequences.  The money being funneled through these organizations and their never-ending appetite for money and power have removed all reason and common sense.  Under the guise of “good works and humanitarianism”, the fabric of this nation has been dramatically altered, if not destroyed.  This “Resettlement Program” has stolen our very identity.  Our freedoms are disappearing.  To be safe we now live in a world where the government has to keep a constant surveillance on its own countrymen.  We have soldiers in the streets threatening law-abiding citizens (have you seen those pictures of Boston?), data from our phone conversations is being monitored, and our ability to protect ourselves is being challenged.  Even with the imposition of government into every facet of our lives, the task of keeping us safe is becoming increasingly impossible,

You don’t even know who you are bringing into this country!  They cannot be properly vetted because they have no reliable form of identification, not even birth certificates.  How can you even know who they are or what their intentions are?  And what is this nonsense that women from Pakistan and Afghanistan should automatically be able to come to this country to escape persecution? Do you really think that by the very nature of a woman’s existence she is an innocent?  Do you think having an open border policy for women excludes us from terrorist threats?  Have you already forgotten that the one responsible for radicalizing the Boston Marathon Bombers was their mother?  Women are as easily radicalized as any man.  These are just two of many examples of the twisted logic of your immigration policies.

(In response to another speaker)

I hear you speak of the plight of women in other countries being the victim of the Sex Slave Trade.   Well, we have a brought this problem into our own country with present immigration policies and I strongly recommend we clean up our own back yard before we start trying to cure the ails of the rest of the world.

You sit in this bubble called “Washington” totally out of touch with the results of the decisions you make and the impact they have on our lives.  Then you have the audacity to say that “it is for our own good, the good of the country”.  Well, I would like to see one of you living in the middle of the consequences of your actions.  I would love to have you live across from a development that reeks of sewage because these immigrants don’t’ even have the most primitive of sanitary habits.  I would love for you to have to live amongst a crumbling infrastructure because all the communities are spending taxpayer’s hard-earned money on supporting these people instead of repairing our roads, our drainage system, and our schools.  They have no desire to educate themselves, no desire to learn our language, and don’t even understand the basics of a civilized society.  Yet, you dump them on us and then call us “racist” if we dare to complain.  I think it is time for you to experience the realities of your lofty decisions.

If it is so very important for you to help these people, and I do understand the necessity to help people, then go live amongst them and change them.  Go live amidst their squalor and teach them to be clean, go live amidst their poverty and teach them to be entrepreneurs, go experience the violence of their daily lives and teach them reason.  Go do your good works…………. JUST DO NOT BRING THEM HERE!!

Ms. Turner went on to conclude by asking where are the legally mandated annual reports to Congress, something we too have been harping on here for years.  The Office of Refugee Resettlement is required by law to produce a detailed report of the refugee program within three months of the close of the fiscal year.  They are three years behind.  Turner continued:

And I, also,  would like to know where the annual reports are.  You are mandated, by law, to make them available to every citizen in this country and you have not done this since 2009.  As a citizen, I want to see those reports now!

Readers, do any of you have testimony you wish to share publicly?   We received a very large packet of statements at the hearing and many of you sent testimony—there were many more statements against bringing more refugees in 2014 then there were promoting more refugee resettlement.

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL): hundreds of millions would immigrate to America if they could

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

…..but we don’t have the financial resources to accept the world’s immigrants!—not to mention the fact that we would be culturally finished as a country.

Six Members of Congress standing in Speaker Boehner’s way!

That is it in a nutshell!  That is the truth of it all—of the Gang of Eight plus Grover bill now before the Judiciary Committee of the US Senate and the Refugee and Asylum program, the diversity visa lottery, and the list goes on.  When I ask critics of my work here at RRW at what number would they stop before fully closing the borders, they can’t answer.

Six Members of Congress held a press conference on Tuesday maintaining their steadfast opposition to the amnesty plan being labored over in the Senate.  Rumblings on the Hill are that Speaker Boehner wants a bill, and these Members stand in his way of unifying the Republican caucus.

I visited Hill offices yesterday (with a request to strip all refugee and asylum changes from S.744) since I was in DC for the State Department hearing on refugee admissions for FY 2014.

One stop I made was to Rep. Michele Bachmann’s office.  I was surprised that the prominent member of the Tea Party caucus, was not on the steps with Rep. Steve King and the others since she was opposed one month ago!  Getting squishy?  Her new staff person on immigration is Javier Sanchez (Javier.Sanchez@mail.house.gov), you might let him know where you stand.

Here is the NumbersUSA report on the press conference:

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) was joined by five other House Members on Tuesday denouncing the Senate Gang of Eight’s amnesty bill, S.744. Rep. King was joined on the steps of the Capitol by Reps. Mo Brooks of Alabama, John Fleming of Louisiana, Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Steve Stockman and Louie Gohmert of Texas. The six Congressmen said they were concerned about the huge negative impact an amnesty for 11 million illegal aliens would have on the national debt, and they said they stood by the rule of law.

The press conference took place as the Senate Judiciary Committee was continuing its markup of the Gang of Eight’s bill.

[….]

“In each of the past five years, 620,000 to 1.05 million foreigners have been given American citizenship,” Rep. Brooks said. “No country on earth comes close to being as generous as America is with its citizenship.

“The immigration issue is not about whether America is compassionate and generous. We are. The immigration issue is about whether America has the financial resources to accept all the world’s immigrants into America. There are hundreds of millions of foreigners who, if they could, would immigrate to America.”

Readers, more soon on my trip to DC and the State Department hearing.  There is much to report.  But, I will leave you now with this—you came through with testimony and completely swamped the refugee contractors with the number of comments you sent in.  Thank you!