Holt told CNN that the US should consider another Trump proposal this week – closing down a few mosques that foster Islamic extremism or anti-Americanism.
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This grandstanding over refugees represents a gross deviation from American ideals.
U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, and Brian Babin, R-Woodville, on Wednesday asked House leadership for a “temporary suspension” of funding for the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement to prevent any new refugee admissions. “Let’s have a debate on Syrian refugees right now”.
The American people deserve a government which does everything in its power to secure freedom and liberty, and this must be accomplished by prioritizing the safety of American families above all else. “We can be compassionate, but we can also be safe”.
Then, Oliver walked the ill-informed GOP through America’s very stringent vetting process for Syrian refugees.
Christie said that he is concerned about “the widows and orphans of September 11” in New Jersey and does not want another generation of them created by terrorist attacks. When we welcome Middle Eastern refugees, it undermines ISIS’ message that the West hates Islam.
“You’ll be put through security screenings by the National Counterterrorism Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, and if you’re a Syrian refugee, you’ll get an additional layer of screening called the Syria Enhanced Review, which may include a further check by a special part of Homeland Security – the USCIS [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] fraud detection and national security directorate”, explained Oliver.
After those interviews, U.S. Customs and Border Protection receives a manifest of all refugees who are approved to go to the United States, and after that the Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services work to determine where to send the refugee to, transport the refugee and work with the refugee to make him or her self-sufficient. The House bill – which Obama has pledged to veto – would require that the heads of our national security agencies personally sign off on the case of every single Syrian refugee.
Speakers at the rally denounced politicians who conflate the issue of Syrian refugees with terrorism. However, Abbott and his fellow governors are misguided. This means they have to have a well-founded fear of persecution based on five specific grounds: nationality, race, religion, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. On top of that, ISIS brags openly that it is using the refugee migration as a means of smuggling fighters into Europe and beyond.
King said, “You see the president’s frustration there”.
So any possible state bans on Syrian refugees would be unconstitutional, and Obama is on solid legal footing for proceeding with his plan. Many people unfortunately interpreted my vote yesterday as a vote against refugees.
Unfortunately, the reaction of many of our elected officials has been to turn America’s back to those who most need our help – under the ostensible excuse of protecting American security. Several Republican presidential candidates have suggested that Christian refugees be prioritized over Muslims because Christians are facing greater discrimination and abuse at the hands of I.S.
But Syrian refugees are not the problem.
In December 2001, British citizen Richard Reid took advantage of the visa waiver program when he attempted to bring down an American airliner flying between Paris and Miami with a bomb hidden in his shoe.
Obama has promised to open the door to 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year.
For refugees already living in the USA, it can be a struggle.
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Ali’s story, Rashid said, is representative of many refugees who are searching for a better life, yet others still choose to deny them basic rights due to their religion.
