Syrian Refugees: 85,000 Will Be Allowed Into U.S. By 2017, John Kerry Says


John Kerry says the United States will allow 85,000 Syrian refugees into the United States by 2017. The Secretary of State announced the controversial decision on Sunday. Concerns about ISIS or Taliban infiltration into the country by some Americans appear to be going unanswered. Some actively pushing for the admission of the refugees are angry that more are not being permitted to relocate, according to Fox News.

Syrian refugees will begin entering the United States in various cycles over the next two years, the Wall Street Journal reports. The up to 100,000 refugees John Kerry said would be allowed to enter the United States will not all be from Syria. The Secretary of State said that some of the individuals would come from a “strife-torn area of Africa.”

When asked why America would not take even more refugees, Kerry said that a lack of taxpayer funds allocated by Congress and post-September 11 screening requirements dictated the number of immigrants that could be relocated to the United States.

“We’re doing what we know we can manage immediately,” Kerry said.

Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and GOP Virginia Representative Bob Goodlatte issued a statement about the Syrian refugees relocation to the United States.

“[ISIS and other terrorist groups] have made it abundantly clear that they will use the refugee crisis to try to enter the United States. Now the Obama administration wants to bring in an additional 10,000 Syrians without a concrete and foolproof plan to ensure that terrorists won’t be able to enter the country. The administration has essentially given the American people a ‘trust me.’ That isn’t good enough.”

A letter authored by multiple former Obama administration officials called for the federal government to accept more Syrian refugees and encouraged the implementation of rules to “speed up” the resettlement process.

Here’s an excerpt from the letter.

“Current (American) efforts are not adequate. Humanitarian aid has fallen short in the face of unspeakable suffering.”

“This step is in keeping with America’s best tradition as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope,” Kerry added.

Approval by Congress is not required for President Obama to expand the number of resettlement slots made available to the Syrian refugees. However, the power to open up the purse strings to fund the relocation and care of the refugees is held by the House of Representatives.

“Some of the 65,000 that came from Iraq actually were trying to buy stinger missiles in my hometown in Kentucky,” Rand Paul said. “So we do have to be weary of some of the threat that comes from mass migration.”

[Image via Thomas Koch/Shutterstock.com]

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