Refugee Resettlement Watch - Ann Corcoran - Amarillo, TX: Unbelievably frank description of a refugee overloaded city, and how it got that way - "1) Meatpackers have indeed driven the program. 2) The contractors are in competition with each other for warm bodies to resettle (no matter what problems a city government might be having). Is it because they are paid by the head? 3) The US State Department is ignoring the city’s concerns ..."

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Amarillo, TX: Unbelievably frank description of a refugee overloaded city, and how it got that way

In this opinion piece by Nancy Koons, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle, we learn some very important truths about the Refugee Resettlement Program of the US State Department/the UN and the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

We have reported previously here, here and here about Amarillo, TX as a “pocket of resistance.”

Here is what I learned (re-learned!):

1) Meatpackers have indeed driven the program.

2) The contractors are in competition with each other for warm bodies to resettle (no matter what problems a city government might be having). Is it because they are paid by the head?

3) The US State Department is ignoring the city’s concerns and even as Catholic Charities asked for a reduction in number, the State Dept. sent more refugees to the same city.  Is this arrogance or incompetence?

4) A community’s educational system is one of the first to suffer when refugee overload occurs.

5) Once yours has become a “welcoming” city more contractors will come.

And finally, I learned that there are some people inside the system willing to be brave and speak the truth!  Nancy Koons is one of them.

From the Amarillo Globe News (emphasis below is mine) ...

http://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/amarillo-tx-unbelievably-frank-description-of-a-refugee-overloaded-city-and-how-it-got-that-way/