World Relief lobbyist about Spartanburg: we have gotten “push back” in other towns and cities

04/14/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Just when I thought it was safe to move on to something other than news from Spartanburg, SC, up pops this story about World Relief in South Carolina in my “Malta” alerts.

Why is this mentioned in conjunction with the tiny island nation of Malta, I wondered (until I got to this paragraph at the end):

According to State Department figures, 73 refugees entered South Carolina from October 2014 through February. Refugees came from Burma, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Namibia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tajikistan and Thailand. Most were from Malaysia (16) and Thailand (14). Four refugees from Iraq also arrived here during that same time frame.

Security concerns in the Malta refugee flow to America!

What the reporter accessed here (or the State Department gave her) is the data on where the refugee was PROCESSED. Malta is a stable country and we don’t take Maltese people (Europeans) as refugees. WE DO TAKE OVER 500 A YEAR OF MALTA’S ILLEGAL ALIENS who crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa to America as supposed REFUGEES.

So, South Carolina got some of those!

I have been writing about this likely illegal use of the refugee resettlement program for years and it is one more reason Rep. Trey Gowdy should be calling for hearings.

In fact, Rep. Michael McCaul (Homeland Security) should be holding hearings about the US taking any of the boat people arriving on Malta from Libya as ISIS has said it will infiltrate the ‘refugee’ flow.

Here is a recent post on the State Department telling Malta we will take more of their illegal overload!

We probably have a hundred posts here at RRW on the Malta problem. Click here for our complete archive.

Also, we don’t take Kenyans as refugees. When Kenya is listed as a processing country, those are most likely Somalis from the UN camps in Kenya! Thailand and Malaysia are UN processing countries as well, so this information tells us nothing about what the ethnic mix is that has gone to SC.

Now back to World Relief’s very interesting admission: They do get “push back,” but the churches invited them to Spartanburg!

So the Left-leaning churches get to decide the fate of your towns?

From reporter Kim Kimzey at The State (emphasis is mine):

Jenny Yang is a lobbyist for World Relief. Her bio is here: http://worldrelief.org/page.aspx?pid=3048

Jenny Yang is vice president of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief. In a phone interview, Yang said the agency spent months getting approval from federal and state officials.

Yang said a proposal [we would like to see that proposal!–ed] was submitted to the State Department that oversees the refugee resettlement program. She said the final decision is up to a state refugee coordinator*** who determines whether cities are able to receive refugees, including housing and economic opportunities. [Really! The state refugee coordinator has that much power!—ed]

Yang also said World Relief worked with local churches for several months before it considered opening an office. “It wasn’t a decision that was spur of the moment,” she said.

Yang said World Relief could answer Gowdy’s questions. She said the organization has received some “push back” in other cities, mostly from local officials.

“We wouldn’t have opened an office if it weren’t for conversations that we had with churches and those churches actually asking us to come in to help them in their mission of helping the foreign born and refugees in their communities,” Yang said.

She said that World Relief opens offices in cities where churches and community members express support, as well as “practical considerations” such as housing and economic opportunities.

“There has been very vocal support, especially among churches that want to welcome these refugees, and that’s the reason we’re going to Spartanburg,” Yang said.

*** The South Carolina State Refugee Coordinator is listed here. Time to check in with them and see what they approved!

South Carolina

State Refugee Coordinator: Dorothy Addison 803.898.0989
State Refugee Health Coordinator: Kate Habicht 803.898.0575
ORR Regional Representative: Faith Hurt 404.562.2847

Gowdy asks the right questions for his district, but what about for other secretly chosen towns?

04/14/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

April 14th: More on this story at World Net Daily today.

Here is more on that extremely well-thought-out letter Rep. Trey Gowdy sent to Secretary of State Kerry yesterday in which he asks the same questions every town in America confronted with the arrival of a US State Department refugee contractor asks. His questions could apply as well to those already overloaded cities wanting to know who is deciding that they get more refugees than they can handle.

Readers! Implore Rep. Gowdy to hold hearings and shine the light on this monstrosity!

Here is Fitsnews (hat tip: Joanne) on the Gowdy letter:

Specifically, Gowdy grilled Kerry on how the planned resettlement came into being, which state agencies approved it, how much government funding the project is receiving, what benefits the refugees would be eligible to receive, when the first refugees were scheduled to arrive, how the refugees were selected and what sort of long-term obligations their presence would impose on taxpayers.

Rep Gowdy! Hold hearings in your House Judiciary subcommittee (Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security) and help, not just your district, but ultimately every town in America get those answers!

Our contention is that every town confronted with the nine federal contractors and their 350 subcontractors working secretively is entitled to have all the facts on the table for public discussion in advance, and let the citizens decide if it is right for their town!

Spotlight on National Immigration Forum

Fitsnews has this bit at the end of its piece that I found intriguing about the involvement of the NIF:

Props to Gowdy and Hicks [SC Rep Donna Hicks] for shining the light on this issue – as well as to Upstate activist Christina Jeffrey, who has been organizing opposition to the plan.

As we noted in our report, “previous resettlement campaigns couched as ‘evangelical’ efforts have in reality been front groups for liberal campaigns like the National Immigration Forum – a group that’s received funding from organizations affiliated with billionaire liberal financier George Soros.

We have written previously about the National Immigration Forum (NIF) and its leader Ali Noorani who we posited may be being helped by Grover Norquist. See this 2013 post we wrote on NIF (apologies for calling them the Christian RIGHT, we know now they are the Christian LEFT). There are other posts in which we mention Pakistani Ali Noorani here.

See that Jeb Bush was on NIF’s board when I wrote that post!

Go here for contact information on how to reach one of Rep. Trey Gowdy’s offices and ask that he hold hearings on the Refugee Resettlement Program which, in the last almost 8 years I’ve followed it, has never been scrutinized by Congress. I’ll bet in its 35 year history, Congress has never asked any questions!

For new readers: Go here for the whole history of the Spartanburg controversy.

In letter to Sec. of State John Kerry, Rep. Trey Gowdy demands answers about planned Spartanburg resettlement

04/13/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Update April 14th: There is more here and here today as Gowdy causes a stir.

This press release and letter (below) were issued today by the office of South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy. For new readers, click here, for background on the controversy. Gowdy is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee responsible for the Refugee Resettlement Program. As Chairman, Gowdy needs to know that this is how the whole program operates nationally—in secrecy!

Maybe due to Gowdy’s swift and decisive action, other communities, which are being kept in the dark, will get some relief!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: April 13, 2015

Contact: Amanda Duvall amanda.duvall@mail.house.gov 202-225-6030

Gowdy Requests Information on Spartanburg Refugee Resettlement Program

Washington, DC—Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) today sent a letter to the State Department, requesting information on plans for a refugee resettlement in Spartanburg.

Please see text of the letter:

The Honorable John Kerry Secretary U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Kerry,

I write regarding the potential resettlement of refugees to the Spartanburg, South Carolina, area. It has been reported by media outlets, and confirmed by staff within your Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), that a resettlement agency submitted a proposal to open an office in Spartanburg. In addition, it is my understanding that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) approved the request to resettle a certain number of refugees in Spartanburg.

As the Member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing the Spartanburg area, I am deeply concerned about the lack of notice, information, and consultation afforded to me and my constituents about this issue. As such, please provide the information requested and answers to questions below:

1. Please provide a copy of the proposal submitted by the resettlement agency and any subsequent correspondence between your Department and the resettlement agency.

2. When was the resettlement agency’s proposal submitted? When was it approved by USRAP?

3. How were the claims made in the proposal as to Spartanburg’s readiness to resettle refugees verified for accuracy by USRAP prior to approval?

4. What, if any, steps were taken to notify and consult with local government officials (elected or otherwise) prior to the approval of the resettlement proposal? If so, who was contacted and did they approve the proposal?

5. Which officials/employees of the South Carolina State government reviewed and approved the resettlement agency’s proposal? When was such approval given? Were these officials/employees contacted by USRAP to independently ensure approval was given?

6. What types of, and how much, funding will the resettlement agency receive from the federal government? How much of that amount must be provided to the refugees and how much can be kept by the resettlement agency?

7. When are the first refugees expected to arrive in Spartanburg?

8. What federal, state, and local benefits are the refugees entitled to receive a) upon designation as a refugee and b) upon resettlement in the Spartanburg area?

9. How many refugees will be resettled in the Spartanburg area?

10. How are the refugees chosen to resettle in Spartanburg?

11. What is the country of origin of each of the refugees to be resettled in the Spartanburg area?

12. Who is responsible for ensuring housing, employment, and education services for the resettled refugees?

13. Who is responsible for ensuring resettled refugees maintain employment, as opposed to tracking employment for the first few months after being resettled?

14. How many of the refugees to be resettled in the Spartanburg area are of the age to attend K–12 schools? Of those, how many need the local government to provide interpreters or teachers who speak the native language of the refugee for the students?

15. Do any of the refugees to be resettled in the Spartanburg area have criminal convictions? If so, for what crimes has each been convicted?

16. Please explain the background check process performed on refugees scheduled to be resettled in Spartanburg.

17. Will this be the only time refugees will be resettled to the Spartanburg area pursuant to the agency’s proposal? Or can additional refugees be resettled pursuant to the proposal?

I request that any plans to resettle refugees in the Spartanburg, South Carolina, area be placed on hold until my constituents and I receive your substantive responses to the questions and information requested in this letter. Additionally, before moving forward, both the Spartanburg community and I should have time to substantively review the information and be comfortable with the information provided.

As previously stated, I am troubled by the lack of notice and coordination with my office and the Spartanburg community, particularly local officials, regarding the plans to resettle refugees in the area. In that vein, I request at least one month’s notice prior to the arrival of the first refugee in the Spartanburg area. Please contact my Chief of Staff, Cindy Crick, with such notice (864-241-0175 or cindy.crick@mail.house.gov).

Thank you in advance for your prompt response and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Trey Gowdy

World Net Daily reports about Spartanburg and refugee resettlement secrecy

04/09/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Reporter Leo Hohmann, who has done great work over the last year or so exposing the refugee resettlement industry in the US has posted another good piece in the wake of my post earlier in the week about how the nine major resettlement contractors are picking the towns to colonize.

I’m off to Washington this morning and have no time to say more now, so please check it out yourselves! He cites Spartanburg, SC and St. Cloud, MN.

Read it here:

U.S. cities ‘secretly selected’ for importing Muslims

See more of Hohmann’s reporting here.

Breitbart reports on high welfare use by refugees from latest annual report; let Rep. Trey Gowdy know!

04/03/2015 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I am so excited!

A major news outlet is actually reporting on those often very tardy (and seemingly boring) annual reports to Congress from the Office of Refugee Resettlement!

Probably for the last few years only a handful of people in the whole country were looking at a report that I doubt anyone in Congress ever looks at. As a matter of fact, I bet most Members of Congress and US Senators don’t even know the Refugee Program exists!

Ken Tota is the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. He puts out the reports. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/about/leadership/ken-tota

But, a new day has arrived!

Here is Breitbart’s headline:

3 in 4 Refugees On Food Stamps, Many Using Other Forms Of Public Assistance

“A strikingly high percentage of refugees to the United States use some form of public assistance, according to a government report to Congress.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Annual Report to Congress for FY2013 reveals that nearly 3 in 4 refugees were on food stamps.

Additionally, nearly half were on some form of cash assistance and more than a half were on medical assistance. More than 20 percent were on Supplemental Security Income, more than 22 percent were in public housing and nearly 20 percent were on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

The report noted that many households received more than one type of assistance and the data dealt with refugees who arrived in the U.S. between March 1, 2008 to February 28, 2013.

To be sure, assistance use varied among region of origin.

Refugees from Africa and the Middle East were the heaviest users of cash assistance at 61.9 percent and 68.3 percent respectively. Latin American refugees only used cash assistance at a rate of 8.1 percent and South Asia used about 42.7 percent. Data for Europe and the former Soviet Union was not available.

The use of food stamps — or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — also varied with 88.9 percent of refugees from Africa, 91.4 percent of Middle Eastern refugees, the Middle East, 72.9 percent of South Asia, and 36.7 percent of Latin American refugees using the benefit.

Overall, according to the report just 50 percent of refugee households in the five year window were self-sufficient. [This self-sufficiency claim is shaky as refugees can be on some forms of welfare and still be considered ‘self-sufficient’ for the purposes of this report.—ed]

So, if you are angry, what do you do? Who is the one person that could bring about a serious review of this program?

Call Rep. Trey Gowdy and tell him to do his job and review the UN/US State Department Refugee Admissions Program. Call! 202-225-6030

First have a look at the report sent to Rep. Trey Gowdy’s House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Here it is—the annual report for FY2013. The Office of Refugee Resettlement is required by law to prepare these reports to Congress within just a few months of the close of the fiscal year. So this report is only a little over a year late.

In the past, as we often reported, they were many years late and Congress never noticed! Here is a post from 2013 where I chronicled the flagrant violation of the law over many years.

When the bill that became the Refugee Act of 1980 (Kennedy, Biden, Carter) was debated in Congress, critics said it would become a pipeline for poverty as more and more welfare recipients entered the US as refugees and asylees. Guess what! They were right!

In keeping with a recent trend here at RRW where we are attempting to identify the major actors in colonizing your towns with impoverished third worlders…..

Let Rep. Trey Gowdy know you want this law reformed or repealed!

Of course there is a Senate Subcommittee responsible for refugees as well, headed by Senator Jeff Sessions, but let’s get this ball rolling in the House. Gowdy probably thinks the refugee resettlement program is some benign political freebie for him, let him know it isn’t!

Here is his office contact information. Note that he has an office in Spartanburg the latest town to be seeded!