Tag: Rep. Keith Ellison

Rep. Keith Ellison still working to keep the river of US money flowing to Somalia

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

This is an update about the activities of US Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis, thanks to a reader.

In February, Ellison, the go-to guy for the refugee resettlement industry in Congress, traveled to Mogadishu in order to facilitate keeping the remittance pipeline open from Minnesota to Somalia.   As we reported here in January, up to $120 million a month is sent from Minnesota alone to Somalia!

Ellison has been leading the charge to get the federal government to back off of its prohibition on those little mom & pop money transfer businesses sending money to a country that many knew had al-Shabaab terrorists at the other end of the pipeline.

From Minnesota Public Radio last month:

Ellison with new Somali prez Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison visited Somalia’s capital on Tuesday, the first visit in years by a member of Congress to what until recently was considered one of the world’s most dangerous cities.

Ellison, D-Minn., said his visit to Mogadishu fulfills a request from his constituents* with ties to Somalia. Minnesota has one of the largest populations of Somali-Americans in the U.S.

[….]

“I told my constituency I would come here and work for the United States and Somalia relationship, and I am doing that in today’s visit,” Ellison told a news conference in Mogadishu.

[….]

Ellison said his meetings with Somali officials would focus on financial remittances most often sent by Somalis in the U.S. back to family members in Somalia. Such remittances have become harder to make over fears that people sending money could be accused of aiding a terrorist organization such as al-Shabab.

Why don’t lazy reporters put in stories like this one that it’s not just a “fear” that money might end up in the wrong hands, but we have had recent CONVICTIONS of Somalis sending money to al-Shabaab.  There are those two (go to hell infidels) women in Minnesota here and then the San Diego Somalis here.  It is not a “fear” that it might happen.  It has happened.

Besides, why should we be allowing immigrants of all sorts to be sending the US treasury to prop-up the third world—that is exactly what we are doing even if there aren’t potential terrorists at the receiving end.  See El Salvador, here.

*For new readers who might be wondering how Ellison got all those Somali constituents, thank the US State Department and its nine major federal refugee resettlement contractors.  More Somalis on the way!

We have resettled more than 100,000 Somali refugees to cities large and small in the US over the last 25 years.  See one of the most widely read posts here at RRW.  Large numbers went to Minneapolis, and now they are spreading out throughout the state.  In three years since 9/11 ( Bush years 2004, 2005, 2006) the number of Somalis arriving topped 10,000 per year.  Those refugees then began bringing in the family (chain migration!) until 2008 when shock of shocks! the State Department discovered that as many as 30,000 Somalis had lied about their kinship and weren’t related at all.  The State Department then closed the “family reunification” program for Somalis.  It has recently been re-opened for new and legit family members, but they have no intention of finding and deporting the liars.

In the first 4 months of this fiscal year (Oct. 1 to January 31) we have resettled 2,260 new Somalis which means we are on target to make 2013 a banner year for Somalis entering the US.   Never mind that Somalia’s new President is urging Somalis to “come home.”

For more information on Rep. Keith Ellison, click here, for our whole archive.

Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison is the go-to guy in Congress for refugee contractors

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Everyone is buzzing about the ‘epic battle’ last night between Sean Hannity and Ellison here on Hannity’s Fox News show.

So, I thought this might be a good time to tell readers that Minnesota Rep Ellison, Congress’ first Muslim representative, is carrying the water for so-called volags (refugee contractors) by pushing “reform” of the Refugee Resettlement Program of the US State Department.

Ellison gets emotional while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 10, 2011. He was testifying about the Somali youths who left Minnesota for Jihad training in Africa. Crocodile tears? (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Last fall (I wrote about it here) he introduced his “Strengthening Refugee Resettlement Act“ and taking advantage of all the excitement over possible amnesty for illegals on the horizon, he re-introduced it in February.

Incidentally, I don’t see a single word of concern from the good Congressman about how illegal aliens are competing with refugees (and with American blacks) for jobs.  (See abysmal refugee employment numbers, here).

Sounds like his bill is all about getting more refugees into the country and getting more money to the contractors.  Contractors like Church World Service are singing his praises, here.  Another contractor, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society likes his bill too.

Before I get to Ellison’s recent press release announcing his bill, remember that it is widely understood that Ellison was elected to Congress with the help of the large Somali refugee population in Minneapolis (Ellison’s district).   Yeah!  He wants to make Refugee Resettlement part of the “comprehensive” reform and bring in more voters from the third world!

Here is Ellison’s press release (with commentary from me):

WASHINGTON–Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-05) today reintroduced the “Strengthening Refugee Resettlement Act,” to increase coordination and provide much-needed resources [more $$$ please!—ed] for new Americans fleeing war, persecution, or natural disaster.  The bill is being introduced at a time when the momentum for immigration reform is growing. Congressman Ellison will be pushing to ensure that comprehensive immigration reform includes the issues of the refugee community addressed in this bill.

The bill streamlines refugee processing abroad [bring ’em in faster!—ed], while taking advantage of that time to provide refugees with English classes and work orientation training. It also allows refugees to be admitted to the United States as lawful permanent residents, saving scarce government and non-governmental organization resources[$].  [Now they have to wait a year and apply for a green card—ed].

The bill also strengthens refugee integration into local communities. In particular, it expands the public-private Matching Grant program, which has been highly successful in helping refugees become economically self-sufficient.  [more $$$ please because that is what ‘Matching Grant’ is—ed]

 “With Congress addressing comprehensive immigration reform in the coming months, there is no better time to pass the ‘Strengthening Refugee Resettlement Act.’ This bill makes sure refugee families have the resources [more government $$$ to my district!—ed] they need to be self-sufficient as quickly as possible, and allows families to be reunited with their loved ones. The ‘Strengthening Refugee Resettlement Act’ not only helps the 34,000 refugees who have come to Minnesota since 2000 by allowing their family members to be granted permanent residency, but improves America’s image abroad.”  [and so maybe they won’t become terrorists!—ed]

This bill is particularly important for Minnesotans. According to the University of Minnesota, Minnesota has historically had the highest number of refugees per capita. Between 1999 and 2007, over 34,000 people resettled in Minnesota, from 30 different countries.

Over 50,000 Somalis alone—many of them refugees—currently live in Minnesota.  [and they elect me to Congress—ed]

For new readers, here are all of our previous posts on Keith Ellison.