Tag: US State Department

Wyoming: Governor Mead wants a “plan” for refugees

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment
Governor Matt Mead invited the federal government in to help Wyoming “plan” for refugees. Makes me wonder if he is pals with open borders Republican Grover Norquist.

Update March 19:  Wyoming had 5 refugees in FY2012, so someone is selling the Governor a bill of goods!  Not exactly a flood moving to the state!

He says they are already coming, so they need a plan or another government program.  Mead:

With or without a program, the issue is real -– this is already evident in some of our Wyoming communities as refugees find their way to our state.

Let me say at the outset that I don’t fault the governor for not understanding how refugee resettlement works, heck it has taken me and other critics years to understand even a small portion of it because of the profound secrecy with which the federal government agencies (US State Department and US Dept. of Health and Human Services) with their quasi-government contractors operate, and because of the complexity of the program itself.

The governor in his op-ed published in the Star Tribune yesterday said they need a plan for Wyoming because the refugees are already coming.

What the governor doesn’t get is that if they are coming already they are secondary migrants NOT newly resettled refugees.   They are just like anyone else who might move to Wyoming because this is America and they can.  Wyoming doesn’t need a federal contractor for immigrant in-migration anymore than they would for an American moving over from Colorado.  Their poster boy, Bertine Bahige, is a secondary migrant.

Secondary migrants are not under the care of a resettlement contractor like the secretive Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains that would like to be the federal contractor bringing NEW refugees to Wyoming via the US State Department.  The “refugee,” now a secondary migrant, has already gotten his introduction (his package of goodies) to America in some other state.

If secondary migrants are coming in any large numbers to Wyoming they are either coming there because there is some industry luring them (like BIG MEAT in some other western states), or Wyoming has generous welfare benefits like Minnesota and Maine.

Here is more of what Republican Mead (who sounds like a big D) said in defending his position in what has become a hot-potato issue in Wyoming:

There have been recent discussions about refugees coming to Wyoming. It is an important issue as refugees are coming now and have been coming to Wyoming with our state having no plan or say on the matter. Questions of what, if any, resources are being used and how they are used remain unanswered. We are the only state in the country without a plan or process.

So it is clear … refugees are people who are in the United States legally after being vetted by the Office of Homeland Security and others. The program started following World War II to address a number of Europeans who were displaced by the war. Sadly, conditions exist in places around the globe where people are faced with hardships so severe that they must flee their homes in order to be safe. These men, women and children are fleeing persecution, torture, violence and war. There is understandable sympathy for these people. The United States has set standards to evaluate the conditions that qualify a person for refugee status.

As refugees have been coming to Wyoming –without a plan or program – I felt it important to learn more about what is done in Wyoming. The United States accommodates a relatively small number of people from around the world when refuge is needed. Most refugees choose to stay in our nation’s larger cities. A small number are choosing a rural state like Wyoming. It is a responsibility to our taxpayers to know, as refugees come to Wyoming, what is the impact.

Again, the governor confuses secondary migrants with newly resettled refugees who are under the care and control of a contractor for only 3-6 months, then they are free to strike out on their own and move elsewhere (presumably without any hand-holding from government agencies).

Although, one caveat, is that the contractors are now expanding their “services” in order to get more federal grants for such things as “healthy marriage programs” (where the contractor gets the taxpayer $$$, not the state), but the contractor needs a large “refugee” population in a specific community to get those.

If he would like to know more about such migrants, check out St. Cloud, MN, Lewiston, ME, or Ft. Morgan, CO.  I doubt there will be a great migration of them to Wyoming any time soon.   However, if he sets up a “program” with Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, he will indeed start the flow to Wyoming because LFSRM will, after resettling the ‘seed community’ then apply for all the family members to follow (they are paid by the head for those too!).

They (the feds and the contractors) need Wyoming because they are running out of “welcoming” communities elsewhere!

All of our coverage of the Governor’s appeal to bring in the federal government to help determine the demographic future of Wyoming may be found by clicking here.

Photo:  my reference to Norquist is because Norquist and pal Suhail Khan recently got up a letter pushing for more refugee resettlement.

Wyoming being fed a pack of lies!

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment
Asst. Secretary of State for PRM, Anne Richard, meeting with Iraqis in Portland, Maine. Trying to make sure Maine stays on board? US State Department needs fresh territory in which to resettle refugees! http://www.pressherald.com/news/Federal-official-visits-Maine-refugee-business-owners-Photos.html

Sorry I can’t say it any other way!

Here is the latest puff-piece being circulated around the country about Wyoming (the only state with no refugee resettlement program) beginning to see the light, we are told, and REQUESTING refugees.   We first reported the Republican governor’s outreach to the feds here.

As these refugee puff-pieces always do, this one starts out with the lovely success story of Congolese refugee Bertine Bahige (you can read his story yourself).

But, no matter how wonderful a person Bertine Bahige is, and how successful, Wyoming ‘leaders’ must remember at least two things—the cost of the refugees will after a few months be on the backs of the Wyoming taxpayer and no matter what promises you get now, Wyoming will not be choosing the refugees (choosing their nationalities or their religions), nor will it choose how many!  The US State Department will be deciding that with its contractors.

So here is the article designed to tug on your heartstrings, but laced with lies.  From the Casper Star Tribune (via SFGate)  (hat tip: Joanne) Emphasis is mine:

Wyoming is the only state in the nation that doesn’t have a refugee resettlement program.

Bahige is hoping to change that.

He is Wyoming’s delegate for the United Nations Refugee Congress. Since 2010, he’s reached out to the Wyoming congressional delegation, state lawmakers and Gov. Matt Mead in hopes of creating a resettlement program in Wyoming.

Despite roadblocks, he’s pushed the ball in motion.

He’s working with the UW School of Law to draft a plan that Mead will consider for adoption.

They think they are going to get ALL federal money for this (note to Republican Governor Mead—that is taxpayer money too, and it comes with strings! You are handing over your state sovereignty and demographic future to the US State Department.)

No state dollars would fund a refugee resettlement program. The federal government would pump money into state agencies and a nongovernmental organization to oversee the initiative, said Suzan Pritchett, co-director at UW’s Center for International Human Rights Law Advocacy.

Wyoming’s Department of Family Services, Department of Workforce Services and Department of Health are among the agencies that would work with the federal government’s Health and Human Services and State Department to channel the money, said Merit Thomas, a policy adviser in the governor’s office.

Wyomingites, please take a few minutes and have a look at the costs to counties in Georgia for refugee resettlement. From Refugee Resettlement Relief.  Here!  And, longtime readers know that Tennesseans have for the last couple of years been attempting to get numbers like these out of their state agencies.

Wyoming will not pick the number or the nationalities/religions of refugees!

Suzan Pritchitt: “It may be inappropriate for some types of immigrant populations to move here.”

States like Colorado and Utah received more than 1,000 refugees in 2013. Wyoming would open its doors to a smaller number, Pritchett said. [Suzan Pritchett co-director at UW’s Center for International Human Rights Law Advocacy—ed]

The state’s low immigrant population may make it difficult for refugees who require certain places of worship and other cultural customs, she said.

This above, is of course, a reference to Muslim refugees.  Don’t worry Ms. Pritchett, the US State Department will send you Muslims who will in turn build mosques, if you don’t have them already!

“Wyoming is not an immigrant-heavy state,” she said. “It may be inappropriate for some types of immigrant populations to move here. We are thinking about what’s the best fit for Wyoming and the capacity it can handle. It won’t be on the 1,000 per-year end of the scale.”  [Again, Wyoming will not be making those decisions!—ed]

Refugees who arrive in the U.S. aren’t arbitrarily picked. After the UN chooses candidates, the Department of Homeland Security vets their backgrounds. Then the State Department chooses what cities will be best for the candidates.

They are not becoming self-sufficient!  It may be a goal, but it is not happening!  Look how they have chosen their words!

The goal of resettlement is not to enlist people on government welfare programs, Barclay said.

“It’s about self-sufficiency,” he said.

The refugees are enrolled in federal assistance programs like food stamps, but after eight months the federal government begins to wane support for most refugees. [Not true! refugees are on food stamps for years!—ed] Within the first four months, refugees are required to have jobs. One stipulation is that the immigrants have to repay their plane tickets. [And, the contractors get a cut of what they collect!—ed]

In Colorado, 72 percent of all refugees who found work became self-sufficient, said Paul Stein, state refugee coordinator.  [72% who found work!  What percent found work? And, how long did it take them?—ed]

All over America refugees are not working!  Pockets of resistance to new resettlement have developed and the feds are desperate for new territory for thousands entering the US every month, so….

….to the residents of Casper and Gillette—you must ask questions!  Lots and lots of questions!

Why are we taking “refugees” from Austria…..

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

…..and Turkey, Sweden, France, Malta, Germany, India, Israel, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam among others?

We couldn’t possibly be taking the Pakistanis and Afghanis who have been demanding asylum in Austria by camping out in Catholic Churches? Could we? http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/23/us-austria-refugees-idUSBRE90M0Z820130123

Since when do those countries have a war or other disturbance going on that would justify the US taking off their hands THEIR immigrant problems? 

Readers, legitimate refugees/asylum seekers are those who leave their country where they are supposedly persecuted and seek asylum in the first safe country in which they land.   There isn’t supposed to be some pass through opportunity to go to America!

Just now I had a look at WRAPSNET (US State Department) where the statistics are kept about which refugees are coming to the US.  Actually at WRAPS there are only a few data bases available to us, the taxpayers, most are password-protected and only available to the special people working in the refugee industry.

One database tells us from what country refugees have arrived in America in the first 4 months of this fiscal year (FY2014) and I was shocked to see we took 572 REFUGEES from Austria in 4 months, but who the heck are they?  Austria is a prosperous safe country!  Are they illegal aliens who entered Austria and to help them out we said, ‘What the heck, we can take them off your hands?’

The statistics don’t tell us the nationalities of those we took from safe countries!  Also, you should know that WRAPS does track the religions of the refugees, but won’t release that information to you (or me!).

We’ve been telling you for years how all this got started—the Bush Administration bent the rules and the US began resettling illegal aliens from Malta.  I see from the stats we have taken 136 off Malta’s hands in the first 4 months of this year alone.  Why is this in our NATIONAL INTEREST?   See our extensive archive on Malta (note to any real investigative reporters out there, we have done your research for you!).

Although we have only taken a tiny number (why isn’t it zero?) from Sweden, France, Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, check out the large number we took-off Turkey’s hands—1,781, South Africa (aka the rainbow nation, the model for the world!)—167 (and you can bet they aren’t persecuted white people), India—138, and the UAE—92.   WTH!

By the way, the big number for Kenya (1,336) probably represents the Somalis we are taking from Dadaab.

Pennsylvania: Burmese refugee shoots wife, faces death penalty

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Well what do you know—another refugee criminal case (requiring a translator of course!).***

Never forget! Diversity brings strength to your “welcoming” community, or so we are told!  See our previous post on Burmese living in poverty in America, kids dropping out of school.

Burmese refugee accused of murdering his wife in Bethlehem, PA (Express-Times Photo | BILL ADAMS)

From Lehigh Valley Live  (hat tip: ‘pungentpeppers’ crime finder!):

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against a Bethlehem man accused of shooting his wife in the street in front of their children the day a protection-from-abuse order was approved against him.

Win Min Htut is charged with homicide, burglary and criminal trespass in the Dec. 17 killing of 37-year-old Thida Myint.

Prosecutors say they’re seeking the death penalty for three aggravating circumstances: During the killing, Myint committed felony burglary, presented a grave risk to others, his children, and violated the protection order.

Htut remains in Lehigh County Prison without bail. He was scheduled to be arraigned today before Judge Robert Steinberg, but the Burmese interpreter Htut requires was unable to attend due to the weather.

There is more, see how the prosecutors believe the murder went down.

Pennsylvania in top five resettlement states

I’ve been thinking about Pennsylvania ‘finding itself’ in the top five resettlement states in the US.  It occurred to me after we noted that former Governor Tom Ridge signed the Republican ‘bring more refugees to America’ letter with Grover Norquist, that perhaps it was during Ridge’s term as governor that Pennsylvania became an enthusiastic resettlement ‘leader.’

There is a snowball effect, once your state or city becomes a preferred resettlement site, more refugees (often the relatives) of the first group are brought there by the contractors or their subcontractors (they are paid by the head to bring in the family members) and there is also some ‘rule’ the US State Department has about a hundred mile radius in which they place related people.  There is also the secondary migrant effect when refugees resettled elsewhere migrate within the US to be near their people.   Wyomingites!  Do you get that?

***Just for fun I went to our ‘crimes’ category with its 1,396 posts to see how many criminal court cases we wrote about just since the beginning of the year (specifically involving refugees).  Too lazy to link them (you can find them in the crimes category by clicking here).

We had the Colorado Iraqi rapists, the Utah Burmese rape/murder trial, the Iowa Bosnian sex abuse case, the Illinois Sudanese murder retrial, Washington Somali rapist, New York Afghan welfare cheats, Florida Sri Lankan illegal alien trafficking case, California Somalis sentencing in terror funding case, Minnesota Somali woman sentencing delayed (terror funding), and the Nevada Chinese refugee ripping off the casinos!  All within the last seven weeks!

US State Department: Burmese should get applications in soon, program to close

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Update:  Ft. Wayne, IN Burmese worried they won’t be able to get their extended family in, here.

The US State Department is moving on to other ethnic groups, like the Congolese, or perhaps the Syrians, having brought 73,000 Burmese to the US since 2005.  We hope that the closing of the program from Myanmar/Burma means that the Burmese Rohingya Muslims need not apply!

State Department spokesman, Jen Psaki: Reaching “natural conclusion,” Burmese need to get applications in fast!

From AFP:

Washington — The United States is winding down a program which has helped to resettle 73,000 refugees from Myanmar over almost a decade, a US official confirmed Thursday.

After being introduced in 2005 primarily to help Karen and Hmong minorities that have been displaced in Myanmar, also known as Burma, “we’re reaching the natural conclusion” of the program, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

“With our robust resettlement program, the number of eligible Burmese refugees has been reduced significantly, and not all Burmese who are eligible for resettlement consideration are interested in permanent resettlement,” she said.

Refugees from Myanmar who are still interested in resettling in the US should get their applications in quick, Psaki added.

“If those who are eligible are interested, they should apply now, and we will see the process through for all those who apply.”

A politically incorrect observation!

I often wonder if the resettlement contractors just get sick of certain ethnic groups and urge the State Department to bring them a new variety of refugee to add to their diverse collection.  It is horrible to suggest, but sometimes I think they are like animal hoarders who have a mental disorder and want only to add to their collection while it is beyond their means to do so—animal hoarders want to possess the animals even if they cannot afford to care for them in a humane fashion.