I’ve already posted a bunch of stories similar to this one from several different cities in what is an obvious media campaign to blast the President as he approaches his deadline to say how many refugees the US will ‘welcome’ in FY19.
I don’t intend to publish them all because it gets boring, but will note interesting points when I see them.
Iraqi refugees convicted on terror charges were arrested in Bowling Green, KY, but you never see that mentioned anymore. https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/exclusive-terror-worry-rises-al-qaeda-found-kentucky-20958004
We have written a lot on Bowling Green, KY over the years.
It is Senator Rand Paul’s home town. In 2011, two Iraqi Muslim refugees were arrested there and ultimately found guilty of attempting to help a terrorist group in Iraq. The arrest resulted in the US State Department temporarily halting resettlement from Iraq and rescreening thousands of potential refugees.
At that point, Senator Paul came out strongly against the program, but his criticism vanished when he ran for President in 2016.
Add “trickle” to our descriptive media word-list about this years’ refugee flow to America.
Previously we jokedabout “plummeting” numbers (dip, tumble, drop dramatically, drastically decline, etc.). Now we can add “trickle.” Back in the good ‘ol days, Lavinia Limon (USCRI) was sending Mr. Chobani Yogurt (Hamdi Ulukaya) his workers for Twin Falls.
Mr. Chobani Yogurt must be a bit annoyed as the refugee worker stream to his Twin Falls yogurt plant must be trickling too.
And, heck, he even lost pal, doyenne of the refugee contractors, Lavinia Limon last fall. See here.
This article is just another of the ho-hum planted media stories about that mean ol’ Donald Trump and how his refugee slowdown is hurting their refugee industry. It wouldn’t be worth posting except for the blatant admission that plummeting refugee arrivals are hurting the contractors’ budgets.
For longtime readers you are likely thinking—well we know that!
However, ten years ago, when I started writing this blog about the flawed US Refugee Admissions Program, the media didn’t know that refugee contracting agencies*** were paid by the head to place refugees, so I see this paragraph below as progress!
From the Idaho State Journal:
There are challenges that come with taking in fewer refugees. It’s hard to manage the Refugee Center’s budget, Rwasama said, because the center receives federal funding per refugee who arrives. “Everything is impacted when you don’t have funding to provide services.”
More here.
I was glad to see that they say they are taking better care of the formerly placed refugees since they are receiving so few new ones.
Rwasama is CSI Refugee Center director Zeze Rwasama. It has never been adequately explained just how the College of Southern Idaho became a subcontractor for USCRI, one of the nine (soon to be eight?) federal contractors.
Nevertheless, we are happy to see that the admission is being made regularly and the media is now reporting that:
Federal resettlement contractors (and their subcontractors) receive payment from you, the US taxpayer, on a per refugee head basis!
Progress!
*** I post the contractor list almost every day because I want new readers to know exactly who is responsible for driving the US Refugee Admissions Program (in addition to the UN!).
The number in parenthesis is the percentage of the nine VOLAGs’ income paid by you (the taxpayer) to place the refugees, line them up with (low paying) jobs in food production and cleaning hotel rooms, and get them signed up for their services! From most recent accounting, here.
We know that, so why am I posting yet one more “plummet” story that the refugee industry has fed the media?
Because in this story we see the beginning of the strategy for Fiscal Year ’19 which I mentioned herethe other day.
Right on cue they have begun the PR push for pre-Trump levels of refugee admissions.
From The Messenger:
International Center of Kentucky faces dwindling refugee arrivals
Albert Mbanfu, the center’s executive director, met with community partners Thursday to discuss resettlement issues. Mbanfu said after the meeting that the center is experiencing a slowdown but that the federal government isn’t saying why.
(Learn about Stakeholder meetings, here.) Mbanfu is presiding over a Stakeholders meeting that includes school and health officials, etc. These meetings are supposed to be open to the public, so all of you should be finding out when they are held and request to be present. After all, as the taxpayers paying for all of this, you are the biggest stakeholder of all! Photo: http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/international-center-faces-dwindling-refugee-arrivals/article_9c2588e6-342d-5dd5-a332-fc937311fd7a.html
The Messengercontinues….
In light of this [discussion about Trump slowdown.—ed], Mbanfu said the center has been asked to rework its budget. He said in a follow-up interview that the center has made cuts and reduced staff.
“A year and a half ago we were at about 30 and right now, full- and part-time staff, we are down to 22, and there are still plans to reduce that further,” he said of the agency’s employees.
[….]
During the meeting, Mbanfu also discussed plans to scale back funding for refugee resettlement agencies across the country.
“Beginning Oct. 1 [Fiscal year ’19 begins that day.—-ed], not all of the refugee resettlement agencies will be open,” he said. “Many will close their doors.”
Mbanfu said the center’s volunteer agency, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, is working on a proposal to keep its affiliated agencies open. More information should be available in August or September, he said.
This is what I wanted you to see!
Despite the low number of arrivals, Mbanfu told the center’s partners it is going to ask for permission to resettle 440 refugees next fiscal year.
The center was previously granted permission to resettle that amount before Trump took office.
I have to laugh. I’ll bet some of those officials which have to cope with large numbers of refugees in the schools and health system are keeping their fingers crossed that 440 won’t be coming next year! The strategy is taking shape!
Apparently, the strategy is for all three hundred or so subcontractors (of the nine major contractors***) to prepare Abstracts for the coming year as if President Trump wasn’t even there. They know he won’t go for Obama-level numbers, but they plan to use their request for high numbers in the inevitable media agitation campaign. Those Abstracts go to the US State Department (as a basis for next year’s determination) and if the DOS was smart they would put the word out right now that they won’t entertain any Abstracts that come in at Obama-era levels. They could even put out a percentage. For example an Abstract must come in at say 25% of its FY18 submitted level.
If the Trump State Department does not head this off now, they face another refugee industry anti-Trump media blitz come September.
(They will get one anyway, but at least the contractors won’t be able to use their submitted Abstracts in the process.)
BTW, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has never lifted a finger to reform the refugee program. At one point, after those Iraqi refugee terrorists were caught in his home town, Senator Rand Paul took a stand against the program, but quickly shut down his criticism. I think KY is one of those states that welcomes cheap refugee labor for BIG CHICKEN! and for the Chamber of Commerce.
Wouldn’t you like to know what ol’Mitch and Rand are telling Trump behind the scenes about refugee resettlement!
*** For new readers, these (below) are the nine federal refugee contractors that have been driving more refugee resettlement for over three decades. The program will never be reformed as long as these fake non-profits are funded with taxpayer dollars and are permitted to wage political organizing/agitation campaigns.
The International Center of Kentuckyworks for the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a contractor which has a checkered past (in Kentucky too!). Go here for my USCRI archive to see what I mean. Don’t miss this one:CEO Limon is out!
The number in parenthesis is the percentage of the nine VOLAGs’ income paid by you (the taxpayer) to place the refugees, line them up with (low paying) jobs in food production and cleaning hotel rooms, and get them signed up for their services! From most recent accounting, here.
Why do they need to speak English if they aren’t going out into the workplace?
Because, of course, USCRI (one of nine federal refugee contractors***) and others on the No Borders Left want to be sure they can pass a citizenship test and ultimately vote. In 2016, Albany USCRI director, Jill Peckenpaugh, said USCRI, which controls the turf there, had admitted over 3,000 refugees to Albany since 2005. http://wamc.org/post/panel-discussion-mideast-refugee-crisis-held-albany
And, know that even if the refugee flow into the country is slowing down, federal grants are still going out for various and sundry ‘needs’ of the refugee community.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is still sending out millions of dollars that is helping the contractors stay financially afloat through the Trump admissions slowdown.
(New readers might want to see that the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) recently ditched its longtime leader—-Lavinia Limon—here.)
Yes, elder refugees are eligible for Social Security benefits!
And, before I get to the story at the Albany Times Union about USCRI’s $180,000 grant, readers need to know that we admit refugees to the US who are over 65 years old and that they are eligible for Supplemental Security Income(see here).
Curious about how many senior citizen refugees we admit, I checked some numbers at Wrapsnet.
I couldn’t find an over all number so here are some selected ethnic groups.
From FY09 to today we admitted refugees over 65 years old from (I only looked up a few nationalities!):
Burma (1,844)
Bhutan (4,458)
Iraq (5,099)
Somalia (598)
Syria (207)
Surely, for the whole refugee population from every country, the number of refugees eligible for SSI in the last ten years must be 20,000-30,000!
And, I don’t know if the refugee industry advocates got rid of the rule (they were trying) that requires the senior refugee to attain citizenship in seven years or become ineligible to continue receiving their gratis SSI. (Too lazy this morning to search for it!) USCRI Albany is being paid by you, the US taxpayer, to help senior refugees get their servicesand is seeking volunteers in Albany because Albany has run out of American senior citizens in need of volunteer help.
And, btw, the volunteers will do the actual work while some USCRI staffer is paid with the grant money to ‘administer’ the program.
From the Albany Times Union:
ALBANY — When 64-year-old Raaida Aldabass first came to the U.S. from Syria one year ago, she used to cry every day that she wanted to go back to her country.
“But now it is better, she is happy because she’s learning the language,” Rana Safeih, Aldabass’ daughter, said in Arabic.
[….]
Aldabass is one of nearly 30 senior citizen refugees receiving ENL tutoring sessions.
These sessions are just one of multiple new services the Albany chapter of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has been providing to its older refugee population after receiving a three-year, $180,000 grant in January 2017.
“The main idea is to connect refugees with already-existing services,” said Jake Slutzky, program coordinator at USCRI-Albany.
The program, called Services to Older Refugees, is broken up into two categories: community outreach and education, and intensive case management. USCRI provides their nearly 30 older refugees extensive assistance in areas such as housing, medical care, legal assistance and social integration, to name a few.
[….]
“Folks need to learn English and pass the U.S. citizenship test, but do not have the mobility to get to class,” Slutzky said. “Volunteers go to the refugees’ homes to teach them English at a time that the grandchildren or children who speak English are home, so they can help with the lesson. Besides helping with ENL, you’re helping an elderly person keep their mind active and become self-sufficient.”
More here.
And, this isn’t just happening in Albany, here is a story from Phoenix about elder refugees who have many needs, including mental health needs.
By the way, if you wonder why USCRI supports the DACA kids and every other group of illegal aliens here in the US, just know that if amnesty is granted, USCRI and the other contractors expect to be hired by the feds to help the ‘New Americans’ get their services too!
*** These are the nine federal contractors paid by you to place refugees in to hundreds of towns and cities via their subcontractors (see directory of offices).
The number in parenthesis is the percentage of their income paid by you (the taxpayer) to place those refugees and get them signed up for their services (like SSI)! USCRI is 98% taxpayer funded!
We told youhere a few days ago that Lavinia Limon suddenly retired from the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)in October. That is about the same time that another major State Department refugee contractor was having internal reshuffling problems as well. USCRI’s Stacie Blake did not respond to requests for further information. http://refugees.org/about/
Michael Leahy at Breitbart ,who has done extensive reporting on the refugee industry, tried to get answers from USCRI to no avail.
Until we have further information that it was a normal retirement, we will assume it was related to the industry turmoil as the Trump Administration attempts to rein-in the refugee program.
These contractors*** which have become almost wholly dependent for their survival on the US Treasury are thus experiencing financial stress as federal payouts are declining. Here is his story entitled:
Mysterious Retirement of Lavinia Limon at U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Raises Questions About Federal Program
And, here is what Leahy asked USCRI’s Director of Government and Community Relations:
The unusual circumstances surrounding Ms. Limon’s retirement prompted Breitbart News to ask USCRI communications director Stacie Blake several questions on Thursday about the former CEO’s departure:
1. Why did the announcement of Ms. Limon’s retirement from USCRI not include a statement from her?
2. Why did USCRI not issue the announcement as a press release?
3. Was the employment of Ms. Limon’s brother, Peter Limon, director of business development, also terminated at the same time?
4. Was Ms. Limon’s retirement forced by the USCRI Board of Directors, as sources have told Breitbart News?
5. Was Ms. Limon’s retirement caused by concerns or ongoing investigations–either internal or external–over financial irregularities at USCRI?
Ms. Blake has not responded to our inquiries.
Go here for the whole Breitbartstory.
By the way, after 11 years of following the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program, it is no surprise to me that they don’t answer media questions.
These quasi-government agencies are notoriously secretive and frankly it is their greatest failing and what keeps me continuing to write about them. They use our tax dollars for big CEO salaries while treating the general taxpaying public arrogantly!
***The nine federal refugee contractors that must be undergoing enormous financial stress as the number of refugees (paying clients) decline. The number in parenthesis is the percentage of their income involuntarily supplied by you, the taxpayer.
