The Wall Street Journal, citing an annual refugee report submitted to Congress, said the increase will go into effect October 1, the beginning of the 2017 fiscal year.
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Sen. Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsRepublicans criticize Obama’s plan to admit 110,000 refugees Juan Williams: Obama is Clinton’s trump card Washington wonders: What would a Trump Pentagon look like? Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and has pushed for changes to the refugee admission system.
“We must remain compassionate toward refugees but we also need to make sure that we use common sense”, said Rep.
President Barack Obama is expected to announce at the U.N. General Assembly meeting next week the United States will increase the number of refugees admitted annually to 110,000 from the current 85,000.
After the November Paris attacks, Pence said he didn’t believe the federal government was adequately screening refugees from war-torn Syria.
The U.S. also screens refugees before they come to the U.S., making its situation different from that of Europe, where large numbers of people showed up at the borders.
The increase comes even as the question of refugees has emerged as an issue in this year’s presidential campaign.
Secretary of State John Kerry briefed Congress on Tuesday about the administration’s decision and has stated over the past year that the United States would seek to welcome 100,000 refugees in 2017 – and if possible, would accept more.
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Sessions, who has endorsed GOP nominee Donald TrumpDonald TrumpRepublicans criticize Obama’s plan to admit 110,000 refugees Donald and Ivana Trump: Don’t unseal divorce records Libertarian ticket pushes for debate invite in full-page NYT ad MORE and his hardline position on Muslims in the USA, said terrorists have infiltrated the refugee population successfully in the past.
