Only 43% of Americans are in favor of additional Syrian refugees, while a clear majority of 54% oppose the idea.
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“Sowing fear of refugees is exactly the kind of response groups like ISIS are seeking”, said Iain Levine of Human Rights Watch, referring to the Islamic State. The legislation sailed through to passage with a veto-proof 289 votes, including 47 Democrats who voted aye in defiance of the White House and the leading Democratic presidential candidates.
Just over 2,100 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the USA since January 1, 2012, according to the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. The White House threatened a presidential veto, contending the legislation would bring to an end an already highly regulated refugee program while doing nothing to enhance national security.
“Our first and most important job is to keep the American country safe”, Norcross said before the vote.
It was supported by our area USA congressmen – Rodney Davis, 13th District Republican from Taylorville, Mike Bost, 12th District Republican from Carbondale and John Shimkus, 15th District Republican from Maryville. It also faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Minority Leader Harry Reid said he will try to block the bill.
The bill now moves across Capitol Hill to the Senate Chamber where it can only pass if it gets support from a few democratic senators.
“We don’t have sufficient information to appropriately investigate and vet failed nation states”, said Representative Trey Gowdy, (R) SC.
Even so, the House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve legislation requiring stringent new background checks that would, in effect, suspend admissions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
Throughout that process, United Nations officials and local government officials in temporary host countries like Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon look to determine the legitimacy of asylum seekers’ claims and ensure that they meet the criteria of a refugee, including that they are not and have not been involved in any fighting or terrorist activities.
“To ask me to have my Federal Bureau of Investigation director or other members of the administration make personal guarantees would effectively grind the program to a halt”, Lynch told reporters at a news briefing with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey. And unlike the current situation in Europe, there is no easy land or sea route into the USA from the Middle East that would allow individuals to bypass the resettlement process and enter from outside these official channels.
The USA has vetting restrictions in place for admitting “refugees”.
The administration’s veto threat “baffles me, especially given the fact that his own law enforcement top officials came to Congress and testified that there are gaps in this refugee program”, he added.
World Relief Fox Valley works to resettle refugees.
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All of this comes after the United States has welcomed 745,000 refugees since 9/11, with only two being charged with terrorism-related offenses (sending funds to an overseas terror organization).
