Partisanship won’t stop terrorism
This week, the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services mistakenly granted citizenship to 858 individuals from countries that are of concern to U.S. national security and who had previously “been ordered deported or removed under another name.” Even more concerning is the DHS inspector general’s finding that at least 120 of these individuals were not only granted citizenship but now hold Transportation Security Administration (TSA) credentials, security clearances, positions of public trust, or criminal records.
Last weekend’s acts of terrorism in New York, New Jersey and Minnesota remind us we should remain vigilant on every front against terrorism. It is clear the manner in which DHS awards the rights and privileges of citizenship is reckless and negligent. Allowing individuals who pose a potential threat to our country access to security clearances that could put Americans at risk is unacceptable, and I call on the Justice Department to immediately bring denaturalization proceedings against the 120 individuals whom DHS identified as having security clearances or criminal backgrounds.
Our Nation’s security is further threatened by the Administration’s politically motivated decision to allow over 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S. this year, despite a lack of airtight screening procedures. In 2015, the U.S. only accepted 1,682 Syrian refugees. This year, we have already accepted 11,491 Syrian refugees — fifteen percent more than the Administration’s original goal of 10,000 refugees by the end of September. In August alone, the U.S. accepted 3,189 Syrian refugees. This is clearly a system that is putting partisan politics ahead of national security.
Members of ISIS have exploited the refugee system before. In January 2016, two Iraqi refugees were arrested by U.S. authorities in an ongoing terrorism investigation, including one who pledged allegiance on social media to various terrorist organizations. And in 2009, two members of al-Qaeda in Iraq, including a suspected terrorist bomb-maker, successfully infiltrated the Iraqi refugee program to resettle in Kentucky.
Tashfeen Malik, one of the San Bernardino shooters, came to the U.S. on a K-1 visa, which allows individuals from other countries to come to America to marry a U.S. citizen.
Just last week, German police arrested three ISIS fighters who infiltrated Syrian refugee flows and are linked to the November 2015 attacks in Paris. According to ABC News, ISIS has created an industry for fake passports and the DHS’s investigative arm has reported that ISIS has access to a passport printing machine and blank passports.
Given these increased efforts by terrorists to infiltrate the U.S. through refugee and immigrant flows, I proposed three amendments to the American SAFE Act to prevent terrorist infiltration of the Syrian and Iraqi refugee programs by screening refugee and immigrant visa applicants’ social media accounts for pro-terrorist content or support to terrorist groups like ISIS. The Administration currently does not comprehensively screen social media posts of those applying for immigrant visas or for entry into the United States through refugee programs.
The Administration should immediately take steps to fix these security gaps in our immigration and refugee screening systems. In order to protect the American people we should always place national security ahead of partisan politics.
