NTL Conservative Blog: Refugee Racket

U.S./U.N. refugee racket out of control by Joe Newton, September 10, 2015 ICYMI - Recent MDJ Editorial by RRR Director Joe Newton: Marietta Daily Journal

The recent memorial service for 2012 Sprayberry High School graduate and Marine Lance Cpl. Skip Wells underscored that "the budding life of the young man we all loved was senselessly, and abruptly, ended," as Lt. Commander Dennis Wonders told mourners. What the commander diplomatically didn't say, though, is that Wells was one of five U.S. servicemen murdered by a Muslim terrorist. And - get this! - the shooter and the rest of his family were in Tennessee courtesy of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program.

This is the same federal program that is place in Georgia and financed by the General Assembly, which acts as a "pass through" conduit for congressionally approved resettlement money. The money underwrites contractors, licensed by the government, who funnel Third World refugees to Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett and other counties. It is the same program, by the way, that brought the Boston marathon bombers to the United States.

Particularly upsetting is that this continuing influx of Muslim refugees, like the Boston terrorists and the killers of Wells and his comrades, are poorly vetted by Obama administration bureaucrats.

U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul fears that the administration's latest intention to welcome thousands of Syrian refugees will become a "federally funded jihadi pipeline" for radicals. Assistant FBI Director Michael Steinbach even admits "there is a lack of information" when it comes to trying to vet Syrians for entry.

Entry approvals are overseen by the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, and Obama has allowed this office to basically dictate who is a "refugee." In fact, the definition of a refugee is now being given to people not only fleeing true persecution but also to those claiming "discrimination." (Of course, anybody could claim "discrimination" in any country anywhere!)

A recent Atlanta newspaper article says the largest numbers of refugees coming to Georgia in recent years are from Myanmar (the former Burma in Southeast Asia). Most, the article says, worship at mosques built for the previous African influx. Indeed, researcher Ed Rubenstein estimated a couple years ago that, along with Myanmar, the other top refugee countries of origin include Bhutan, Iraq, Somalia, Cuba, Congo, Iran, Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia.

It begs the question: Why aren't our mainly Muslim arrivals being resettled in areas of the Mideast and Africa that are stable and far more culturally attuned to receiving them? The answer appears to be two-fold: 1) A hyper-partisan President Barack Obama wants more poor newcomers who have a speedy path to citizenship so they can vote for Democrats who will in turn provide welfare, health care and schooling; 2) religious agencies in Georgia and other states want them because they receive taxpayer funds for every refugee the U.N. recommends for admission. These refugees are then often sent to communities with virtually no warning.

DeKalb County has been a favorite dumping ground, but now Cobb is being affected. Those refugees are required to live in their initial settlement area (DeKalb) for a year, but after that can and do move anywhere, including Cobb and Gwinnett counties, in order to get better welfare benefits.

The welfare cost to Georgians was estimated in 2010 by the Department of Health and Human Services to be $17 million. Counties are chipping in untold millions - mainly from property taxes. And more and more schools must pay more to absorb these often illiterate, poorest of the poor.

No wonder Gov. Nathan Deal asked the State Department over two years ago to sharply cut the number of refugees here. It agreed for a while - especially when the mayor of Athens complained that the city couldn't handle a large resettlement. But it appears the influx has started again with the new Myanmar and perhaps Syrian arrivals.

What is to be done? The General Assembly does not have to accept federal money that "passes through" to help Third World refugees come here. A moratorium could be revived if lawmakers during the 2016 legislative session stop approving the enabling money. When Indiana cut off the money to resettle Central Americans last year, the migrants were moved to other states.

Just as with illegal immigration, it's past time that state legislatures and the Congress get tough and regain control over this out-of-control and increasingly expensive program.

Joe Newton is chairman of Citizens for Refugee Resettlement Relief in Georgia.

Contact your member of these committees TODAY!

Tell them to stop funding this over burdened, fraudulent program:

Senate Health & Human Services Committee:

Unterman, Renee S Chairman (Buford)

Hufstetler, Chuck Vice Chairman (Rome)

Millar, Fran Secretary (Dunwoody)

Hill, Judson Member (Marietta)

Burke, Dean Member (Bainbridge)

Butler, Gloria S. Member (Stone Mountain)

Cowsert, Bill Member (Athens)

Henson, Steve Member (Tucker)