We must speak out on refugee relocation

After 35 years in trial practice, I’ve learned that it isn’t what people tell you, it’s what they don’t tell you that counts. Given the turmoil in our country right now, I question whether the Armstrongs and the concerned citizens supporting relocating refugees to Sandpoint have all the facts about the course they advocate. The key issue is why the London-based International Rescue Committee, or “IRC”, selected Northern Idaho and Sandpoint in particular as a target for resettling people with such a controversial background? To understand the situation, we need to look at who is actually behind the agenda. The Armstrongs represented the International Rescue Committee, or “IRC”. Unfortunately, and probably unknown to them, the IRC has a rather disturbing history.

Its purported goal is to promote international understanding of the refugee “crisis” and assist in the placement of refugees throughout the world. However, even a simple Google of the company and then checking primary sources shows it to be an entity funded by among others, George Soros. IRC has reportedly received $1.2 million from George Soros’s philanthropies and $2 million from the left-wing Ford Foundation over the past decade. According to the IRS Form 990 from 2015 (again the latest available) the IRC received $682,277,233 in contributions and grants, yet only $298,523,443 of that was used for refugee benefits and similar amounts paid. On May 11th last year, London’s The Telegraph newspaper reported that the IRC is quietly under investigation by USAID for corruption, specifically bribery and kick-backs on supplies for the refugees out of those contributions.

Contributor Soros is under investigation by Judicial Watch for actually paying Antifa agitators. (If you have doubts about whether they are paid, ask yourself how all these 18-28 year olds have the resources to fly or drive all over the United States and arrive with premade signs and banners (not to mention weapons))? What kind of job allows that? Judicial Watch makes no bones about the fact that Soros is committed to funding Black Lives Matter, MoveOn.org and Hands UP, all of which have been involved in violent demonstrations and suppression of free speech. His motives regarding this country are highly suspect.

Additionally, while the IRC and its representatives here were quick to lecture us at the meeting about the limited costs of personal benefits the refugees received from government, the actual facts are murky at best. The IRC received a stunning $453,916,856 in Government grants in 2015 alone. According to its own IRS Form 990 the IRC is an “organization that normally receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or from the general public described in section 170(b) (1) (A) (VI).” Reading further, we find that IRC salaries, other compensation, and employee benefits (including $5.2 million in pension plan accruals) were a whopping $256,251,979. The IRC is run by David Miliband, the leftist son of a hard-core Marxist with an IRC salary of nearly $600,000 in 2015. The IRC’s thirteen (13) paid Directors and officers each make north of six figures as well. Miliband is a committed socialist and advocate for Muslim emigration to Europe. That has not turned out well for the people of Europe. Apparently, we’re next.

But here is the truly unsettling point. For better or worse, Northern Idaho is viewed by people who don’t know it and have never been here as ultraconservative. What will happen the first time there is any sort of incident involving the “refugees”? What happens when they claim (fake) oppression, as invariably happens? Do you think that the organizations Soros funds haven’t thought through the potential media bonanza if there are protests to resettling people here by people portrayed in the media as “far-right”? Hello paid agitators and media coverage. And there go the tourists and the money. At least there will be a lot more uninhabited land around the lake for them to enjoy.

Another concern that many expressed at the meeting was in light of the recent horrific rape of a child in Twin Falls, was that many refugees were in fact more economic refugees than actual innocent peoples fleeing for their lives. The concern was that we are putting people in the populace that we know nothing about and for the wrong reason. The IRC representatives responded that we have nothing to fear about these refugees because the federal government has “vetted” them. Per the DHS Office of the Inspector General Report, March 2016: “[A]fter 11 years, the [Immigration Service] has made little progress in transforming its paper-based processes into an automated immigration benefits processing environment. This delay prevents USCIS from achieving its claimed workload processing, national security, and customer service goals. • Due to processing errors resulting from premature release of ELIS software, USCIS received over 200,000 reports about missing green cards and at least 19,000 cards that included incorrect information or were issued in duplicate. USCIS’ efforts to address the errors have been inadequate.” As to who will make up the refugees, all one needs do is google or YouTube the composition of refugees and migrants coming to Europe. My eyes tell me it is primarily young men, not women and children. The refugees have no documentation; no identification, no criminal or social records, no records of political affiliation or any other method of verifying who they say they are. Undoubtedly, many of them are good people, but it only takes a few with jihadi beliefs. Look at what just happened in Barcelona. Until our federal government can sort out the continued failure of the vetting process, local communities have every right to be concerned.

Sadly, virtually every community that has ended up with a Sharia law “no go” zone has had un-vetted immigrants forced upon them without a clear understanding by the voters of the risks and consequences. That is the only way the government; state, federal or local, can get away with it.

We must know the position of the mayor and every member of the City Council. They must promise they will not create a forced immigration situation by using the federal government as an excuse while secretly inviting these people without the knowledge and consent of the citizens.

I love Sandpoint and its character, people and values. I fear a great deal of that character and values will be set aside if we all do not let our forceful opposition be known.

GREGORY ANDERSON

Sandpoint