No matter how much the other side yaks about screening, you know (and they know) that there is no way to screen the Islamic terrorist wannabes from the huge flow of Syrians, Iraqis, Somalis, Uzbeks, Burmese Muslims etc. being admitted to the US now at an accelerated pace. Omar Al Harden planned to blow up two Houston malls including the Galleria. Think how much of your money was already invested in this hater and you likely will pay for 20 years of incarceration.
Here is a (then) teenager we welcomed to America who hates us and planned to kill many of you who shop in Houston area malls. Before being admitted to the US, I bet this punk was asked by some US State Department worker—do you have any animosity toward America and, like any good Muslim, lied!
From CBS News:
HOUSTON — An Iraqi refugee who authorities say wanted to set off bombs at two Houston malls pleaded guilty Monday to trying to help the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan admitted as part of his plea deal that he pledged his loyalty to ISIS in November 2014 and almost immediately trained to use tactical weapons, including an AK-47. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced Jan. 17 on a charge of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
[….]
“I want to blow myself up. I want to travel with the Mujahidin. I want to travel to be with those who are against America. I am against America,” Al Hardan wrote, according to KHOU.
More here.
We have 704 previous posts on Iraqi refugees in case anyone wants to write a book someday!
And, by the way, just as I saw the news about Al Harden, I also saw news this morning about our involvement in going after ISIS at Mosul. Using Obama and Hillary’s own logic, isn’t our involvement there going to create more terrorists and probably more quickly than simply slowing the flow of them to America.
Let them fight it out! Let them take care of their own!
The other day we reported that the Texas governor withdrew the state from the FEDERAL Refugee Admissions Program (RAP) and some of you gave a sigh of relief (prematurely).
The federal government’s Office of Refugee Resettlement wasted no time in informing Texas that you will be a so-called ‘Wilson-Fish’ state. I suspect other states that ‘withdrew’ recently including Kansas and New Jersey are probably already W-F states and experienced maybe a few months of bureaucratic chaos, but that resettlements there are probably moving right ahead. (Disgusted, I have not followed the Kansas, New Jersey saga since the governors made their announcements there back in the spring.) One of those members of the Texas delegation in Washington who has enormous power is the 4th in seniority on the House Appropriations Committee. Find her on the campaign trail. Call her local office(s). Tell her politely what you think about the RAP and tell her to work to DEFUND it in November.
We contend that the entire Wilson-Fish program, which is one where the state government has given up any role and a NON-PROFIT group is now running the show, is unconstitutional. Think about it, in these states*** decisions about spending state taxpayer money is being made between the federal government and an unaccountable NON-PROFIT group. (If you want to know more about Wilson-Fish, click here for our extensive archive).
Frankly Governor Abbott’s action of last week will only matter if he now sues the federal government on Tenth Amendment grounds.
Tennessee, also a Wilson-Fish state, has a lawsuit ready to go, but who knows when they will pull the trigger.
Here is the latest from KXXV.TV:
WACO, TX (KXXV) –The State of Texas has withdrawn from the federal refugee resettlement program after the governor stated it did not receive assurances it asked from the federal government. However, the federal agency who oversees the program stated this will not stop current services provided to refugees or future resettlement.
[….]
The Office of Refugee Resettlement said in a statement that it will continue to help current refugees and accept more into Texas.
“While we, of course, regret Texas’s decision, ORR is working to appoint designees to administer services to refugees in Texas until a later time when competitive bids will be accepted for a Wilson-Fish alternative program,” ORR said in a statement.
The Wilson-Fish programs serve as a replacement for a state when a state government doesn’t participate in the refugee assistance program, according to ORR.
It is the Republican Congress that has the power over the program right now because it is Congress that holds the purse strings. And, it is Congress that could reform or abolish the Refugee Act of 1980 (and the later unconstitutional Wilson-Fish provisions). If Hillary doesn’t get to the White House!
However, Governor Abbott’s actions and any other state and local efforts to begin to control the monster are important actions so that the public becomes increasingly informed about what is happening to their communities. Every time you make the news or hold public meetings or write letters to the editor, you are waking up more people where you live, but then the next step is focusing like a laser on your Washington representatives.
(Every time you hold a public meeting be sure those in attendance know who your Congressman and Senators are and give them calling instructions before they leave the meeting!)
It is Congress and the President who will make the ultimate decisions about whether we will be flooded with impoverished third worlders many coming from countries that hate us!
If you live in Texas and are praising the Governor, please continue to do so, but you have a very powerful Congressional delegation in the state and one Congressman in particular, Rep. Brian Babin, willing to take on the powerful pro-refugee lobby (including the Chamber of Commerce!).
You need to breathe down the necks of the Texas delegation in Washington. Tell them to defund the Refugee Admissions Program. Click here for the list.
They are all back in Texas campaigning and they will be returning (even the losers) for the Lame Duck session beginning in November. There is one more shot this year to DEFUND the program and it will be in November and December!
Find them as they campaign and tell them what you think of the Refugee Admissions Program in Texas (it receives more refugees than any other state—they are turning red states blue!).
I hear ‘Mom for Trump’ calling…..
Ann, could you tell all your readers on a daily basis to call our useless Congress @ 202 224 3121 and have them say DEFUND REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM. I call daily and if enough of us do so, we can make a difference.
***Wilson-Fish states where the feds and a NON-PROFIT federal contractor call all the shots and your elected government has virtually no role.
Alabama
Alaska
Colorado
Idaho
Kentucky
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Nevada
North Dakota
South Dakota
Tennessee
Vermont
I suspect these two are now officially W-F, but have not followed them recently:
This is a major blow to the US Refugee Admissions Program since Texas is, by far, the largest resettlement state in the nation. Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott seem to be in sync this week on protecting Texas from not adequately screened refugees. The governor’s complaint is that the federal government cannot adequately assure the state of Texas that all of the refugees from the Middle East and Africa being placed there are thoroughly screened.
And, in fact, that was confirmed in Senate testimony we heard this week (click here). At that hearing Senator Cruz of Texas elicited some damning testimony from federal officials.
The arrogant federal resettlement contractor will of course claim they can still operate in Texas as a so-called Wilson-Fish state like more than a dozen other states operate where there is no state government involvement. However, the Wilson-Fish program itself is constitutionally questionable and Governor Abbott, if serious, could block that too with a legal challenge.
But, at least in the short run, the program will be seriously disrupted and that alone will send ripples through the entire refugee industry. Here is the news (at Breitbart) that happened on the eve of the new fiscal year (tomorrow!) which will see a massive inflow of refugees especially from Syria and other hotbeds of terrorism unless the Republican Congress cuts the funding for the program when Congress reconvenes after the election in November.
Governor Greg Abbott has officially pulled the plug on Texas’ participation in the federal refugee resettlement program after the Obama Administration rejected specific security conditions.
The move by the Texas governor stops the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) from coordinating the resettlement of these refugees that the Obama Administration has repeatedly said they cannot certify not to be a threat to the residents of the state. His action follows the rejection of a proposal announced previously where Texas officials demanded a certification that the refugees were not a security threat and a limit on the number of refugees to the original 2016 plan.
“Texas has repeatedly requested that the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Director of National Intelligence provide assurances that refugees resettled in Texas will not pose a security threat, and that the number of refugees resettled in Texas would not exceed the State’s original allocation in fiscal year 2016 – both of which have been denied by the federal government,” Abbott said in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. “As a result, Texas will withdraw from the refugee resettlement program. As governor, I will continue to prioritize the safety of all Texans and urge the federal government to overhaul this severely broken system.”
Thanks to all who sent this news. I saw it earlier. How many of you remember that Kansas and New Jersey dropped out a few months ago? A handful of you? Did it have any effect other than a little bureaucratic reshuffling. Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Michael McCaul is from Texas, so what is he doing in the House to protect his home state. Anything?
There was a story the other day that NJ has gotten over 200 Syrian Muslims since Gov. Christie withdrew NJ from the program. The slack is just being picked up by a non-profit federal contractor. Those states effectively became Wilson-Fish states. (Search Wilson-Fish here at RRW if you don’t know what that is.)
Now don’t get me wrong, there is an impact if the Governor goes through with it. But, unless he then follows up with a 10th Amendment lawsuit like Tennessee is planning to do (who knows when?), getting out will only temporarily slow the flow to Texas.
Sorry to sound so cynical, but I am today! I was optimistic this morning, but all that changed when I saw the useless language (page 8) the Republicans are now proposing for the Continuing Budget Resolution.
I am so disgusted at most of the spineless Republicans in Congress who have no courage to begin to roll back the program that is frankly dangerous to our communities and economically UNSUSTAINABLE!
And, they are dumb besides, because once the immigrant (Muslim) population reaches a certain level they will vote the Republicans out of office! Foxis one of many outlets talking about Texas withdrawing:
The state of Texas on Wednesday announced that it is withdrawing from the Obama administration’s refugee resettlement program due to the administration’s inability to ensure that refugees resettled in the state do not pose terror threats, according to an announcement by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Texas informed the Office of Refugee Resettlement in a letter that it will be withdrawing from the program on Jan. 31, 2017. The letter comes on the heels of several weekend terror attacks across the United States
The administration has refused to approve a security plan by the state of Texas aimed at ensuring that refugees are only resettled following in-depth security checks.
Texas officials drafted a plan that would require federal national security officials to provide assurances that none of the individuals being resettled pose a terror threat. The administration has declined to approve this plan.
And, come to think of it, how did Texas become the number one resettlement state in the nation? Because certain Republicans have been running that state forever and they have been derelict in protecting their citizens. (Remember this name—Bush?)
A judge earlier dismissed the governor’s lawsuit saying the state had no authority to stop the flow of refugees to the state. Apparently the governor will appeal. However….. If the political powers in Texas really wanted to stop the resettlement of refugees in Texas, they would start by getting powerful Senators and Members of Congress doing something in Congress this fall—cut the funding for it! And, then demand reform during the period the funds have been cut (either completely or to a level that would only admit a tiny fraction of the worst cases). Texas Senator Ted Cruz
Where is Senator Ted Cruzon this? He could lead a campaign to cut the funds this fall in the Senate. And, in the House, Texas Congressman Pete Sessions is in an important seat as Chairman of the Rules Committee. Texas Rep. Michael McCaul is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. And, then of course the brave Texas Congressman Brian Babinis the chief architect of a bill that seeks to halt the program until certain investigations regarding costs and security take place.
So if the Texas governor is serious, he needs to bring together key players in the Texas delegation to get something done now, for FY2017 in the budget and appropriations process! We know where the buck stops on all of this—in Congress and not with the governors.
Texas is appealing the dismissal of its lawsuit against the federal government and a refugee resettlement agency over the placement of Syrian refugees in the state.
As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, McCaul has spoken up about the dangers of unvetted refugees. So, what is he doing about it when they are being placed in his home state?
In a notice dated Aug. 12, Texas alerted the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that it would appeal a June decision by Dallas-based U.S. District Judge David Godbey, who ruled the state did not have grounds to sue the federal government over the placement of refugees in Texas and that the state failed to provide a “plausible claim” that a refugee resettlement nonprofit breached its contract.
Representatives with the Texas attorney general’s office, which is representing the state in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Texas first filed suit in December against the federal government and the International Rescue Committee — one of about 20 private nonprofits that have a state contract to resettle refugees in Texas — in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Paris that left 130 dead. Following those attacks, Texas’ Republican leaders raised concerns about the refugee vetting process, and Gov. Greg Abbott in November directed resettlement nonprofits in Texas to halt the resettlement of any Syrian refugees.
But the federal government warned Texas it did not have the power to reject Syrian refugees, and the International Rescue Committee’s Dallas branch informed the state it would continue aiding Syrian refugees placed in Texas.
Continue here.
Don’t get me wrong, this effort in the courts is important to continue the pressure and to educate the public, but the power to stop the flow of unwanted refugees rests with the REPUBLICAN Congress (with the power of the purse) and in my opinion many of those we sent to Washington to represent us are hiding on this issue (and others too of course)!
I know, I know, you all are so disillusioned with Congress and think they are useless, but it is still very very important for you to know that the Republican Congress is responsible for what is happening to your towns. There is no sense screaming at, or about, Obama, but it is important to point a finger at who really is responsible! One of the many good things Donald Trump said in his fantastic speech on immigration the other night is that legal immigration programs that have gone on for decades will be reviewed in a Trump administration. Folks, this Refugee Admissions Program is 36 years old and has never been seriously reviewed or reformed! It is way past time!
