Statement of Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Hearing on the Syrian Refugee Crisis and Its Impact on the Security of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

Chairman Goodlatte: From an immigration standpoint, perhaps the most essential lesson from the 9/11 terrorist acts is that foreign nationals who want to do us harm will exploit all aspects of our generous immigration policy to do so - even if it takes months or years. Tragically, our allies in France learned that same lesson when over 120 people, including at least one American, were slaughtered by ISIS terrorists.  And we know that at least one of the perpetrators registered as a refugee from Syria while in transit to Paris. Armed with that knowledge, today we examine the Administration’s plan to admit thousands of Syrians into the U.S. as refugees. During FY 2015, the President admitted 1,682 Syrian refugees to the U.S.  Then in late September the Administration announced that during this fiscal year they plan to admit “at least” 10,000 more.  And that number could go even higher as Secretary of State John Kerry stated, “I underscore the ‘at least’ – it is not a ceiling, it’s a floor.” So since the overall ceiling for FY 2016 refugee resettlement is 85,000, at a minimum, according to the Secretary of State, nearly 12 percent will be from a country with little infrastructure, in complete turmoil, into which thousands of radicalized foreign fighters have poured, parts of which the Islamic State controls and in which we have no law enforcement presence. I understand that the Administration conducts security checks prior to admitting refugees.  And, according to the Administration, these checks are robust - especially with regard to the Syrian population.  But are they enough?  Can these checks ensure that the individuals admitted as refugees are not terrorists and will not commit terrorist attacks once in the United States? DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson told Congress that agencies involved in the vetting process are “committed to doing the best we can and as deliberately as we can.” Such a statement from the top U.S. homeland security official doesn’t exactly instill confidence in the vetting system. Islamic radicals across the world are chanting “death to America,” and mounting barbaric attacks on Western targets.  ISIS is specifically saying “we will strike America at its center in Washington.” Top Administration security officials have told Congress that the refugee vetting process is not adequate.  In fact, FBI Director James Comey told this Committee that while the vetting of refugees has improved, the reality is that with a conflict zone like Syria where there is “dramatically” less information available to use during the vetting process, Director Comey could not “offer anybody an absolute assurance that there’s no risk associated with” admitting Syrian nationals as refugees. And not only did his boss, Attorney General Lynch, not refute his statements, but she conceded that there are in fact challenges to the refugee vetting process, during her testimony in this Committee on Tuesday. I wrote to the President last month asking why he continues to ignore the concerns of some of his top security officials.  And I look forward to the witnesses’ thoughts on such concerns today. Exactly who the individuals fleeing Syria are is also a question of immense concern.  There is little doubt that members of the Islamic State and some of the foreign fighters who have streamed into Syria over the last few years are now some of the very individuals leaving the country. In September the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, noted regarding the millions of individuals fleeing Syria “I don’t, obviously, put it past the likes of ISIL to infiltrate operatives among these refugees.  So that is a huge concern of ours.” Media accounts note non-Syrians trying to pass themselves off as Syrians to try to get into European countries.  And articles point out the booming fake identification document industry where “a forged Syrian passport can be bought on the Turkish border for as little as $200.” I know that the Administration is trying to implement the refugee laws that Congress put in place.  But if implementation places Americans in danger, it is clear that Congress must take a look at the refugee provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to determine what changes should be made. Lastly, I would like to thank the witnesses for testifying here today.  I know that some of you had to rearrange your schedules to make it here today and we appreciate your willingness to testify on this important topic. I yield back the balance of my time.

For more on today’s hearing, click here.