The governors of 31 states, including some where the cities whose mayors signed the letter are located, asked that resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States be halted. Then the Department of Homeland Security does its own screening before a refugee is granted entry and protection.
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“Defeating terrorism should not mean slamming the door in the faces of those fleeing the terrorists”, says Jerrold Lewis Nadler, US Representative for New York’s 10th congressional district. “Don’t you think that common sense dictates we should take a pause and get this right?”
America has protected refugees from every part of the world and must show moral courage in protecting Syrians fleeing civil war and conflict.
“Considering the frequent reminders of terror threats from ISIS that can strike anywhere at any time, any states that will host these new refugees have a right to be assured that their communities will not be placed at risk by a potentially flawed screening process”, he said. Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the center, said that while the steps Kerry and Johnson outlined are a “good plan”, they do not allay concerns expressed by Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey that there are no government officials in Syria whom the agencies can use to help in the vetting process.
” Many candidates are first interviewed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to determine whether they have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution”.
Comic artist Andy Warner illustrates the history of the recent wave of refugees pouring into Europe – where they are coming from, what is motivating their departure, and the difference between refugees and economic migrants.
Secretary of State John Kerry announced in September that the United States will increase the number of refugees admitted to the USA from across the world from 70,000 to 85,000 in 2016 and up to 100,000 in 2017.
The fact that so numerous terrorists involved in the Paris attacks were French and Belgian citizens who had fought in Syria or were supporting that effort, at least one of whom appears not to have been on USA government watch lists, is the key fact to focus on from a US national security perspective, not the fact that one of the attackers had posed as a Syrian refugee. We win by prioritizing our security as we’ve been doing. Refusing to compromise our fundamental American values: “freedom, openness, tolerance”, Biden said.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, once, herself, a refugee from Czechoslovakia, reminds us of the millions of refugees who have come to our shores in the 67 years since she arrived with her family. That’s how we win. The American people have seen this movie before.
Surely there must be an easier way for terrorists to get into the States. Joseph A. Griffo said the states should still have their voices heard, and he’s calling for a moratorium on the admission of refugees from “specified regions”.
“If you are a parent and you saw those kids, and thought about what they went through, the notion we couldn’t find a home for them anywhere in the United States of America”. To start, none of the attackers involved in the Paris attacks, and none of the collaborators captured to date, appear to have been refugees.
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This is a moment, then, when it’s better to be safe than sorry.
