In an announcement made Thursday afternoon, the White House confirmed plans to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees to the United States. There is no word yet on what the vetting process will be for refugees or how the White House plans to assure Americans the process will prevent ISIS terrorists from making their way into the United States.
"The United States, at the direction of the United States, has played a leading role in addressing the dire humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and North Africa," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday during the daily briefing. "One thing that the United States can do is to begin to let more Syrian refugees into the United States. This year, this fiscal year that will end this month, the United States is on track to take in about 1500 Syrian refugees. The president has directed his team to scale up that number next year and he's informed his team he would like them to accept, at least make preparations, for 10,000 refugees."
Earlier this week, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul expressed serious concern about national security and the acceptance of refugees from Syria.
“We’re a compassionate nation and this is a tragic situation but I also have to be concerned as Chairman of Homeland Security about the safety of Americans in this country and the concern that I have and that the FBI testified to is that we don’t really have the proper databases on these individuals to vet them passed and to assure we’re not allowing terrorists to come into this country and until I have that assurance, I cannot support a program that could potentially bring jihadists into the United States,” McCaul said in an interview with Fox News. “We don’t know who these people are and I think that’s the bottom line here and until we know who they are, we cannot responsibly bring them into the United States.”
"Both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have told me privately that they don't support bringing in Syrian refugees because of the threat they pose to Americans," McCaul continued.
Details about the importation process for refugees have not been released. When they are, we'll be sure to bring them to you.
This post has been updated with additional information.