Most of the refugees, they add, are families, victims of torture and children.
Advertisement
The Obama administration doubled down on its Syrian refugee statistics on Thursday by tweeting a chart that said 23,092 Syrian refugees have been referred by the United Nations to the US since 2011; 7,014 were interviewed by the Department of Homeland Security; 2,034 have been admitted into the USA and zero of those admitted have been arrested or removed on terrorism charges.
Regarding the ongoing debate on Syrian refugees entering this country and the state governors who opposed this process, Oliver had a message. Their action reminds me of the last two phrases of our national anthem that openly states we are “the land of the free, and the home of the fearless”.
But legal experts say the governors have little or no power to enforce a ban on such refugees.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, explained the rationale behind the House bill: “The country is uneasy and unsettled”.
“Our highest priority is the protection of the American people”, they wrote.
Americans know that at least one of the those terrorists apparently arrived in France as a Syrian refugee. When we welcome Middle Eastern refugees, it undermines ISIS’ message that the West hates Islam. “Where will they go?” Other officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Counterterrorism Center joined. The State Department said it takes from 18 to 24 months or longer to process a case from referral or application to USA arrival.
The vote was 289-137, with 47 Democrats joining 242 Republicans in favor of the bill, creating a majority that could override President Barack Obama’s promised veto.
The mayors of more than 60 USA cities have sent an open letter to Congress urging it not to turn its backs on refugees who want to start new lives in the United States, particularly those from Syria. However, Abbott and his fellow governors are misguided. Caseworkers, who are not USA government officials, collect information from applicants.
It is true that many people have concerns about our safety.
Gov. Cuomo made similar remarks Tuesday in a student question-and-answer session at Harvard University, where he said he supports the continued admission of Syrian refugees into NY and the country.
American presidential candidates have been pushed to take a stance on the issue and tow the party line.
It is impossible to evaluate these Syrian refugee statistics without seeing all of the data. Several of the suspects in the Paris attacks were French; three lived in Belgium. No terrorist in their right mind would choose this path when the visa process requires far less efforts.
“We are not well served when in response to a terrorist attack we descend into fear and panic”, he said. He’s right. The US absorbed waves of refugees from Cuba in the 1950s and 1960s, and from Southeast Asia in the 1970s; each of these populations has since contributed immensely to our country.
Advertisement
“Given that more than half of the USA states have already indicated their desire to opt out, it is imperative that Congress ensure that our states have this choice”, Poe’s office said in a letter to his colleagues. “The passage of this bill will effectively close our doors to people seeking refuge from barbaric attacks like those that were committed in Paris”.
