Many have been outraged
at Attorney General Sam Olens' recent letter of opinion to Governor Deal
regarding the legality of preventing federally funded benefits to Syrian
refugees.
Olens' letter can be
seen here [parts of the letter are referenced in
brackets below].
The fact is Sam Olens gave us a gift. What
he has told us in his statement is in fact validating what we have been saying
for 3 years.
[If
the State no longer wants to function as the federally-designated refugee
resettlement program, it may cease participation after giving 120 days advance
notice to the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. See
45 C.F.R. §400.301(a).]
We can leave the Refugee Resettlement (RR) program anytime we choose
after giving 120 days notice! After we leave the RR program the federal funded special benefits
refugees receive wind down and terminate in full within 9 months (except things
like free college educations).
These federally funded
programs (refugee cash assistance, medical assistance, and housing assistance)
cost Georgia nothing. Don't worry about them winding down. There are other
small benefits. Family services (how to take care of children, how to ride the
bus and/or drive a car) are also federally funded and will eventually work
their way out of the system.
Opponents say the
federal government will step in and run the program if we get out. The answer
is maybe yes, maybe no. Wyoming has held off the RR program for years by
refusing to participate. In past years Connecticut has taken only 10 refugees;
Delaware and Rhode Island have taken even fewer.
One thing that props up
this program is community support. If the political leaders discourage
community support, refugee operations move away on their own. Case in point is
Terra Haute, Indiana where the community told RR to get out because the Samoans
were wrecking the town.
We too can stop this
anytime we choose. If you notice in his opinion letter, Olens also mentioned
grants and contracts.
[The
Georgia DHS assures the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) that the goals and
objectives of the Department's Refugee Resettlement Program comply with all
other applicable Federal Statutes in effect during the time that it is
receiving grant funding. (§400.5(i)(3)]
Grants are applied for
and contracts are written to enforce the grant provisions. The issue here is stop applying for the grants and there
will be no contract issues with the federal government.
We do have the ability
to get out of the Refugee Resettlement business. We do have the right to keep our state safe.
We hope you will stay connected and use our website as a resource of
information to help educate and spread the word about the consequences and
costs of this troubled system.
Let us know if you will help! info@refugeeresettlementrelief.com
This is not some problem way off in Washington D.C., this is local.
Please help give Georgia some Refugee Resettlement RELIEF!
Here is what you can do:
·
Contact your legislator and
ask them to stop the funding
·
Contact us to volunteer and help us spread the
word
·
Contribute funds to help keep this initiative
going
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