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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 18 sepTember 2018

REFUGEES toughest. Of the 3 million
Continued from Front refugees admitted to the
President Barack Obama U.S. since 1975, not one has
raised the ceiling to 110,000 been arrested for carrying
in 2017, but the pace out a lethal terror attack on
slowed dramatically after U.S. soil, according to reset-
President Donald Trump tlement agencies.
took office and issued an Most applicants to the U.S.
executive order address- refugee program spend
ing refugees. In 2016, the at least three years be-
last full year of the Obama ing interviewed, undergo-
administration, the U.S. wel- ing biometric checks and
comed nearly 85,000 refu- medical exams, and filling
gees. out paperwork. Cases are
Pompeo said the lower ceil- screened by the Defense
ing reflected commitment Department, FBI, the De-
to aiding families forced partment of Homeland Se-
to flee their homes by war, curity and other agencies.
persecution or natural di- After they are resettled,
sasters while "prioritizing the refugees continue to un-
safety and well-being of dergo security checks in
the American people." He the United States for five
cited the case of an Iraqi years or more. The Trump
refugee who was arrested administration added re-
in California for killing a po- quirements, including lon-
liceman in his homeland ger background checks
while fighting for the Islamic and more screenings for fe-
State organization. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about refugees as he makes a statement to the media males and males between
"This year's proposed refu- Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, at the State Department in Washington. 14 and 50 from certain
gee ceiling must be consid- Associated Press countries, including Iraq.q
ered in the context of the
many other forms of pro- ternational. a smarter way."
tection and assistance of- Worldwide, there were Trump has made limiting
fered by the United States," some 25.4 million refugees immigration a centerpiece
he said, citing U.S. contri- last year, according to the of his policy agenda. The
butions to foreign aid and U.N. High Commissioner for Trump administration's "ze-
other forms of humanitar- Refugees, with many more ro-tolerance" policy that
ian assistance. people internally displaced forcibly separated families
Amnesty International ac- within their home coun- at the U.S. southern border
cused the Trump adminis- tries. Most aid groups and sparked outrage among
tration of "abandoning" ref- governments advocate re- Republicans and Demo-
ugees with the lower cap. settlement as a last resort, crats alike. Last year Trump
"This is the lowest goal in preferring to allow refugees temporarily banned visitors
the history of the program, to return to their homes if from a handful of Muslim-
and compounded by this conditions improve, rather majority nations, and insists
administration's history of than permanently moving he'll build a wall along the
creating road block after to another country. U.S.-Mexico border.
road block for refugees During the ceiling an- Trump has linked increased
to arrive, this must be per- nouncement Monday immigration to increased
ceived as an all-out attack Pompeo advocated U.S. crime in the United States.
against our country's ability efforts "to end conflicts that Yet, according to resettle-
to resettle refugees both drive displacement in the ment agencies in the Unit-
now and in the future," said first place and to target the ed States, the U.S. vetting
Ryan Mace of Amnesty In- application of foreign aid in process is one of the world's