Hundreds of Muslim Refugees Headed to Idaho -Boise Mayor Lays Out Welcome Mat: 'Diversity Isn't A Buzz Word. It's Our Birthright'

Leo Hohmann / WND

The multicultural transformation of Idaho will continue with a planned infusion of hundreds of refugees from Muslim countries over the next one to three years.

A local newspaper in Twin Falls reported that city will receive 300 mostly Syrian refugees over the next fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

But WND has learned the numbers will be much larger statewide and include refugees from Syria, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo and possibly Somalia.

Sources tell WND that community leaders learned of the plans for up to 2,000 refugees at a recent conference at Boise State University attended by church groups, social services providers and other “stakeholders.”

“That’s the number they put out that they’re planning for, a total of about 2,000 over the next one to three years, with 70 percent going to Boise and 30 percent in the Twin Falls area,” said Shahram Hadian, a former Muslim turned Christian pastor in eastern Washington who said he spoke with a conference attendee.

WND reported two weeks ago that Spartanburg, South Carolina, has also been selected for the seeding of a Syrian refugee community.

Unlike Boise, residents in Spartanburg have mustered an organized opposition to the infusion of 65 Syrian refugees over the next year, saying the town already has high crime and poverty and isn’t prepared to absorb hundreds of poor Syrians.

Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., wrote a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry demanding answers to 17 questions about the refugee program, such as what benefits will be expected to be offered and what the cost will be. That was two weeks ago. WND contacted Gowdy’s press secretary, Amanda Duvall, Thursday and was told he has still not received a response from Kerry, whose State Department heads up the refugee program nationwide.

Christina Jeffrey, who ran against Gowdy in the 2010 Republican primary and is a former historian for the U.S. House of Representatives, has joined with a group called Spartans for Biblical Immigration.

“Biblical immigration is certainly not going and bribing them and getting them to change countries,” Jeffrey said.

Jeffrey said Gov. Nikki Haley has come out in favor of the resettlement plans, which hasn’t helped Gowdy’s effort to see it scaled back. A promised resolution by the area’s legislative delegation opposing the resettlement plans also fizzled after Haley issued a letter of support.

“When the governor came out in favor of the refugees, our (Republican) legislators said it would all turn out OK and that they had faith in the vetting process,” Jeffrey said. “But this refugee thing makes us all very nervous, especially if the governor’s office is on board. It’s pretty well known around Spartanburg that there’s a lot of unhappiness about it, and surprise, especially since she was so strong on some other issues like Medicaid expansion. It could be she looks at this with a little bit of identity politics, seeing that maybe immigrants will soon have an advantage over native-born Americans. Look how many immigrants we have running for president. I think she’s moving on. I don’t think South Carolina is her intended destination.”

Residents of St. Cloud, Minnesota, have also been organizing and seeking information on exactly how many more Somali refugees they will be asked to absorb over the next few years. Lutheran Social Services has been working with the federal government to resettle hundreds of Somalis in the St. Cloud area.

The mayor of Athens, Georgia, requested information on refugees being sent to her city late last year and also complained that such information was difficult to obtain.

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Read more at WND:

http://www.wnd.com/2015/04/hundreds-of-muslim-refugees-headed-to-idaho/