Posted by Ann Corcoran on August 10, 2015
Mark Grey, a Univ. of No. Iowa professor: Wahhhh! we need more (of your) money for the refugees! Photo:
This is more evidence that the federal government, which in the early years of setting up the Refugee Resettlement Program helped states cope, is no longer doing so.
The cost of resettling thousands of refugees into your state is falling almost exclusively on state and local taxpayers as the UN and US State Department send them out to ‘everytown’ America!
By the way, when I first started writing RRW there were 10 federal contractors and one of the ten was the State of Iowa. I’m not sure how that happened, maybe in response to Bill Clinton sending all those Bosnian Muslims there for meatpacking labor during his term in office. But, in any case the state is no longer a contractor.
Today there are the nine we always refer to who pretend to be private non-profit (charitable! hah!)groups, but are heavily funded with your tax dollars.
Here is the story from the Des Moines Register. I only have time to snip a few interesting bits. Please read the whole article because it is very informative for anyone contemplating creating a ‘Pocket of Resistance’ in the state. Or, maybe there already is one that we don’t yet know about?
Federal grants that once supported assistance programs no longer exist. Refugees speaking different dialects even in the same languages are adding pressure to state agencies whose workers are trying to help the refugees. And Iowans helping refugees from other countries say the state, and its governor, are not doing enough.
[….]
“There is always room to improve,” said Amy Doyle, a lawyer who works with a refugee resettlement agency in Des Moines. “It’s really a matter of providing state funding for the organizations (that assist refugees).”
Gov. Terry Branstad said more funding is needed, but from the federal government.
Here it is! WE need $$$ for hospitals and school!
Social service providers and other experts on immigration issues in Iowa said the state must do more. Mark Grey, a University of Northern Iowa professor of anthropology and director of the Iowa Center for Immigrant Leadership and Integration, said that includes providing more resources for hospitals, school districts and English as a Second Language education.
After 90 days the refugees are your (local!) responsibility!
Refugees settled directly in Iowa when they arrive in the United States typically receive 90 days of core services from federal resettlement agencies, which provide assistance settling into housing, obtaining a Social Security card, and signing up for state aid.
Please urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Babin bill NOW! His bill seeks to get a handle on the exponentially growing cost of the program. Where is Rep. Steve King? ...
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