The United States will accept the 10,000th refugee from Syria today as part of President Obama's policy to vastly increase the number of humanitarian admissions from the war-torn country, the White House said Monday. And officials suggested that the ceiling for next year could be even higher.
The milestone comes more than a month ahead of schedule, and despite congressional concerns that the administration doesn't have the capacity to vet the influx of refugees.
It's also been an issue in the presidential campaign, with Republican Donald Trump calling the refugee program a "Trojan horse" for terrorists and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, at the forefront of state efforts to block the resettlement. Democrat Hillary Clinton has proposed increasing the Syrian refugee ceiling even higher, to 65,000.
The White House has said it has instituted stringent controls in selecting refugee referrals from the United Nations refugee agency.
"The president is gratified that we have succeeded in meeting this goal," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday. "We were able to do all of that without cutting any corners when it comes to security."
And Earnest suggested that Obama would like to do even more in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. "I think the president would like to see the United States continue to increase our ambition in responding to this global calamity," he said. The goal for next year, he said, would be "a few thousand over 10,000."
Under the Refugee Act of 1980, the president has the authority to set refugee limits after consulting Congress. Those consultations have already begun, Earnest said.
The United States accepted fewer than 1,700 Syrian refugees in fiscal year. 2015.
The White House also said Obama will convene a Leaders' Summit on Refugees at the United Nations next month in an effort to double the number of refugees resettled around the world.
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The milestone comes more than a month ahead of schedule, and despite congressional concerns that the administration doesn't have the capacity to vet the influx of refugees.
It's also been an issue in the presidential campaign, with Republican Donald Trump calling the refugee program a "Trojan horse" for terrorists and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, at the forefront of state efforts to block the resettlement. Democrat Hillary Clinton has proposed increasing the Syrian refugee ceiling even higher, to 65,000.
The White House has said it has instituted stringent controls in selecting refugee referrals from the United Nations refugee agency.
"The president is gratified that we have succeeded in meeting this goal," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday. "We were able to do all of that without cutting any corners when it comes to security."
And Earnest suggested that Obama would like to do even more in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. "I think the president would like to see the United States continue to increase our ambition in responding to this global calamity," he said. The goal for next year, he said, would be "a few thousand over 10,000."
Under the Refugee Act of 1980, the president has the authority to set refugee limits after consulting Congress. Those consultations have already begun, Earnest said.
The United States accepted fewer than 1,700 Syrian refugees in fiscal year. 2015.
The White House also said Obama will convene a Leaders' Summit on Refugees at the United Nations next month in an effort to double the number of refugees resettled around the world.
usatoday
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