Christopher Coen
Melissa Sogard
nancylee1
ORR stonewalls on contractor’s violation of regulation prohibiting worship using government funding
Posted by Christopher Coen on February 14, 2011
ORR director -- Eskinder Negash
Last March I blogged about the issue of World Relief Seattle refusing to hire a Muslim man who volunteered with them as an interpreter because he “might not feel comfortable while they prayed at staff meetings.” But regulations supposedly prohibit using government funding for any form of worship (praying at staff meetings in a public program resettling refugees). Oops.
I wrote to the Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Ken Tota (ORR director Eskinder Negash’s second in command) last April and asked them to look into World Relief and Catholic Charities’ announcements that they would be discriminating in hiring based on religious affiliation.
After waiting two months and getting no response I wrote to Mr. Tota again on June 10, 2010 and asked for an update. Mr. Tota finally responded on June 22, 2010 and wrote that the ORR would be conducting an investigation (now more than two months after my complaint) and that I “should not hesitate to contact [him] should [I] have questions or follow-up concerns in this regard.”
Then, four more months went by with no response from Mr. Tota or anyone else at the ORR, so, once again, I wrote to Mr. Tota on October 19, 2010 asking for an update. Mr. Tota wrote back on November 2, 2010 and claimed that his agency needed at least two more months to close its “investigation”, and said that he would send me the conclusions by late December. December came and went.
On January 20, 2011 I wrote to Mr. Tota yet again to find out what was happening. No response. On February 8, 2011 – almost one year after my original complaint – I wrote again to Mr. Tota to ask what was happening. Again, he has not responded.
This Hosni Mubarak Egyptian-regime-style of responsiveness, accountability and transparency shows me that the ORR does not take its responsibilities seriously, and apparently views the public, whom they supposedly serve, as nothing more than an irritant. Of course, this is an agency that has also refused to release to the Congress their annual reports for 2008, 2009 and 2010, even though the law requires it.
It’s clear that laws and regulations don’t seem to matter much to these federal agencies or these public servants. How do we explain to refugees that their new country of residence has government agencies as non-accountable to the people as the governments they have escaped from?
Mary said
Can you please post their numbers so we may call and ask for a response, too?
christophercoen said
Good idea, thank you. 202.401.9246
Mary said
On another note, I spoke with Mr.Negash about the Match Grant program. I asked him how much of the funding ($2,200 comes from the federal gov’t) is required to go to the refugee. He told me that it is up to the individual VOLAG to decide. Can you imagine that they have no required minimum that must be granted to each refugee? Theoretically, a VOLAG could keep 90% of Match Grant government funding and give the refugee 10%.
I asked Mr. Negash if he thought this system could be open to abuse? He mumbled and fumbled. NO RESPONSE.
christophercoen said
That’s not the case. If you want to see the requirements of the Matching Grant Program guidelines can be found here:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/mgcy_content_guidelines2010.pdf
E.g. Maintenance assistance includes provision of food or food subsidies suitable housing, cash allowance (a minimum $200 per month per adult refugee and $40 per month for each refugee minor), and transportation assistance throughout the first 120 days of the client’s date of eligibility, and pay for housing for at least a month after the refugee becomes employed, or up to 120 days.
Elizabeth said
Another problem in this matter is that VOLAGs – at least the ones I’ve talked to – refuse to provide copies of a refugee’s records EVEN WHEN a duly authorized representative (me) asks for them so there is virtually no way to determine whether any abuse is going on.
Mary said
I just called Mr. Tota and he is still sitting on his thumb. Said it was very complicated, which is not true. You are discriminating on my tax money, so stop it now.
christophercoen said
Yet, the ORR’s own website makes clear that these organizations cannot worship on our nickel. Doesn’t seem too complicated to me. Why is World Relief praying at staff meetings?
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/policy/equal_treatment_regulations.htm
Inherently Religious Activities:
A participating organization may not use direct Federal grants, sub-award funds, or contracts to support inherently religious activities such as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization. If the organization engages in such activities, it must offer them separately, in time or location, from the programs or services funded with direct Department assistance, and participation must be voluntary for the beneficiaries of the Department-funded programs or services.