Trump's Latest Acquisition: Yep, the Grand Old Party Now Nearly 100% in His Image

Forthcoming New Harsh Policy for Refugees

(Might seal Trump’s “Art of Con” deal)

The “refugee” program may soon fall prey to the anti-immigrant Trump-Miller meat axe – cite this from the NY Times here via MSN – highlights in another day with Donald J. Trump.

Trump-Miller Refugee Policy Table

Now, Stephen Miller (flashback) and his allies at the State Department and at DHS, who worked with him at the White House, and now are in place in those two departments, are pushing aggressively to shrink the program even further – (that according to one senior official involved in the discussions and several former officials briefed on them – all who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail the private deliberations).

White House officials did not respond to a request for comment on this story, but John Zadrozny, a top official at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, argued for simply lowering the ceiling to zero, a stance that was first reported by Politico.

Others have suggested providing “carve-outs” for certain countries or populations, such as the Iraqis and Afghans, whose work on behalf of the American government put both them and their families at risk, making them eligible for special status to come to the United States through the refugee program.

Advocates of the nearly 50-year refugee program both inside and outside the administration fear that such an approach would effectively starve the program, making it impossible to resettle even narrow populations. 

Those advocacy groups say the fate of the program increasingly hinges on an unlikely figure: Def. Secy. Mark Esper.

FYI: Esper has been on the job barely two months. Recall he is a former lobbyist and defense contracting executive. He is the newest voice at the table in the annual debate over how many refugees to admit or not.

Noteworthy: Esper’s predecessor, Ret. Marine General Jim Mattis – who resigned from the job under W/H pressure, had taken up the refugee cause with an almost missionary zeal, repeatedly declining to embrace large cuts. Mattis cited the potential effect the cuts would have on American military interests around the world.

Esper’s position on the issue is unknown. Senior military leadership at DOD has been urgently pressing Esper to follow Mattis’ example and be an advocate for the refugee program (that according to people familiar with the conversation within in the Pentagon).

Current and former senior military officials said the defense secretary had not disclosed to them whether he would fight for higher refugee admissions at the White House meeting next week. One former general even described Esper as in a “Foxhole defilade” position. (That is a military term for the infantry’s effort to remain shielded or concealed from enemy fire).

An unnamed senior DOD official said Esper had not decided what his recommendation would be for the refugee program this year. As a result, an intense effort is underway by a powerful group of retired generals and humanitarian aid groups to persuade Esper to pick up where Gen. Mattis left off.

In a letter they signed on September 4, to Trump, some of the nation’s most distinguished retired military officers implored the president to reconsider the cuts, taking up the national security argument that Gen. Mattis made when he was running the Pentagon.

They called the refugee program a “critical lifeline” to people who help U.S. troops, diplomats, and intelligence officials abroad. They warned that cutting it off risked greater instability and conflict, saying in their letter: “We urge you to protect this vital program and ensure that the refugee admissions goal is robust, in line with decades-long precedent, and commensurate with today’s urgent global needs.” 

Their letter added: “Even the current ceiling of 30,000 is leaving thousands in harm’s way.”

The letter was signed by: Admiral William McRaven, former commander of United States Special Operations; General Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the JCS; Lt. General Mark Hertling, former commanding general of Army Forces Europe; and recently retired General Joseph Votel, former commander of United States Central Command.

FYI: The current U.S Refugee Program – what it is and how it works:

Every refugee seeking to come to the U.S. goes through an intensive vetting process, and the precautions are increased for Syrians. Multiple law enforcement, intelligence, and security agencies perform the most-rigorous screening of any traveler to the U.S. The agencies involved are from the State Department, the FBI and their Terrorist Screening Center, DOD, and DHS.

DHS officers conduct in-person interviews with every applicant. Biometric information such as fingerprints are collected and matched against criminal databases. Biographical information such as past visa applications are scrutinized to ensure the applicant’s story coheres.

What percentage of applicants “pass” the screening process?   < 50%.

How long does the whole process take? 18 to 24 months on average.

How many have been resettled here? About 1,800 over the past year. They’ve been placed in dozens of states across the country, but most are in big states with large immigrant populations, such as CA; TX; IL; and MI.

Who are they? According to a senior administration official, roughly half the refugees admitted have been children. Around 25% are adults over 60. Only 2% of those admitted, the senior administration official said, have been single males of “combat age.”

Has the system been successful so far? The security checks have a pretty good record. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U.S. has admitted some 750,000 refugees. None have been arrested on domestic terrorism charges, though two — a pair of Iraqis in Kentucky — were charged with terrorist activities connected to aiding al-Qaeda.

My 2 cents: Trump and Miller are bigots and anti-immigrants even though our country was made great by millions and millions of immigrants.

So, will Esper go against the Trump-Miller plan (which will surely be harsh and ugly)? Doubtful, unless he wants to lose his job. Will Trump backpedal saying: “See, I’m a very compassionate person – the most-compassionate president ever – believe me.”

Then in true Trump style: He will claim victory while blaming Obama and every DEM in the country. That is more likely.

FYI: Trump’s own grandfather came here alone at age 16 and ran a whorehouse during the Gold Rush days. He also basically ran away from Germany to avoid military conscription. 

Miller’s own ancestors spoke no English, had no skills, and one was declared “ignorant” and not passing his citizenship test. 

Now, this is not the country Trump has “Made Great Again.” Give me a break – he is reversing everything good and great about America for his own pleasure and financial gain.

He and those around him, including those in Congress who shield him are shameful yet remain shameless. They should all be booted out of office and ASAP would be best. 

Thanks for stopping by.