Local immigration attorney Rachel Wilson is afraid that Gov. Doug Ducey doesn’t really understand the refugee resettlement process in the United States.
As reported earlier, Ducey said he does not want new refugees coming into the state, since it has been confirmed that at least one of the Paris massacre suspects came into Europe posing as a Syrian refugee. The fear of similar events happening in the U.S. makes A LOT of sense, but Wilson says that the way the resettlement system works in the country, the chances of someone with connections to ISIS, or any other similar organization, sneaking into the U.S. through the resettlement pipeline isn’t likely.
As Wilson explains: Refugees are identified outside of the U.S. by the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees; once the UNHCR has identified and certified them as refugees (these are people who prove they have a “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country”); they then go through a background check through the UNHCR (this often involves Interpol, other types of law enforcement and international security agencies), extensive interviews, doctor check ups, etc.; once they go through all that processing, the UNHCR divides them into groups in accordance with the countries that have agreed to accept those refugees, including the U.S.; the U.S. security checks them again; only if they pass that security check, meaning it is proven they do not pose a threat to this country, are they allowed to come to the U.S. The refugees that make it here are teamed up with a refugee resettlement agency, which helps them get off their feet.
The average processing time for refugee applications could take up to 18 months and no less than one year, but Syrian applications can take way longer because of “security concerns and difficulties in verifying their information,” according to CNN.
“Refugees are basically the most checked over people in the entire immigration system,” she says.
Then there are asylum seekers—people who make their way to either one of the U.S. borders and request for asylum in the country. Asylum seekers are taken into immigration detention centers while their case settles. Many times it takes years for them to be released from detention, Wilson adds.
While she isn’t familiar with how the refugee resettlement process works in Greece (the suspect we’ve been speaking of received a Syrian passport in Greece, according to CNN), Wilson “cannot see that ever being a problem here…that you would have a person come seek asylum and keep passing through to commit an act of terrorism.”
Those who oppose opening the borders for Syrian refugees have taken advantage of this very public case. It’s another story of demonizing entire groups of people over the actions of a few—people who, let’s not forget, are fleeing the exact same violence we are all afraid of: bombings, shootings, etc. (Check out this write up by the American Immigration Council.)
Wilson’s advice to Ducey is that he shouldn’t do what Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal did. Jindal issued an executive order dictating all “departments, budget units, agencies, offices, entities, and officers of the executive branch of the State of Louisiana” to “utilize all lawful means to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the State of Louisiana while this Order is in effect.”
In terms of health care, food stamps, and other aid states offer refugees (in collaboration with the feds), “If the government were to start denying those services to refugees, we can see the state involved in the kind of litigation that the state just underwent when it tried to deny (driver’s) licenses to DREAMers,” she says. “That was a huge expense and the state ultimately lost. I am worried Ducey is making policies without understanding how it works, and because he doesn’t understand how it works, he could have legal consequences that he hasn’t yet contemplated.”
The immigration advocacy group Puente Human Rights Movement is leading a demonstration Tuesday morning protesting Ducey’s remarks. It’s happening at 11 a.m., outside the governor’s office in Phoenix, 1700 W. Washington St.
This article appears in Nov 12-18, 2015.
He only needs to understand how presidential impeachment works, Clinton found that out, now O will also.
“the chances of someone with connections to ISIS, or any other similar organization, sneaking into the U.S. through the resettlement pipeline isn’t likely”
Reason enough to not allow Syrian refugees.
Mammey, check in when you have any idea at all what you’re talking about.
It wasn’t likely that the Japanese would bomb Peal either, but they did. France let them in, what say now to all of you good doers?
Tell it to France.
Tell it to France.
Well, it isn’t unheard of for refugees to become involved in terrorism here, and I’d rather not take the chance at all.
There are a small number of cases in which refugees have been arrested on terrorism related charges in the United States. Examples include the following:
a Bosnian refugee in St. Louis (arrested in 2015)
a Somali refugee in Minneapolis (2015)
an Uzbek refugee in Boise, Idaho (2013)
two Chechen refugees in Boston (2013)
an Uzbek refugee in Aurora, Colorado (2012)
two Iraqi refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky (2011)
a Somali refugee in Columbus, Ohio (2011)
a Somali refugee in St. Louis, Missouri (2010)
a Somali refugee in Portland, Oregon (2010)
an Afghan refugee in Aurora, Colorado (2009)
I don’t think Rachel understands how terrorism works. Maybe someone in Paris can teach her. We certainly know the US government can’t.
Why should USA take any chances. I understand that it is the humane thing to do, bring in these refugees, but I don’t think the USA should, I don’t want to take a chance on these people coming into our country. Then there is the economy, USA doesn’t even take care of their own Seniors, and poor and they want to give to possible terrorist. I say “NO.” I’ve had enough.
Of course an immigration attorney wants more immigrants. That’s how they make their living.
Boston knows better
Paris does now too
Wilson’s pissed at the money she’ll lose from missing out on the opportunity to assigned to represent these “refugees”…
Great post Rachel! The posts above mine represent the exact reasons why we need to have immigration attorneys to protect our national values from scared xenophobic reactionary people.
Let’s not forget that statue the French gave us and it’s apropos Emma Lazarus poem:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Great article, Rachel. Thank you.
The 9-11 terrorists were Saudis here on student visas. More monitoring needs to be done on student visas, not refugees. The brothers who bombed the Boston Marathon were naturalized citizens who grew up here and who, after years of hearing anti-Muslim rants, were prime targets for ISIS to USE for their killing machine.
There are some uncompassionate hateful sh*theads on this thread. If any of you call yourselves “Christian,” shame on you.
Wasn’t your Mary a Middle Eastern refugee too? Is that why your Savior was born in a stable? Because of a bunch of hard-hearted bastards like you? Merry Christmas, jerks.
It is amazing the amount of idiocy and hatred that shows up in the comments section.
Would you have turned away Jewish refugees in World War II? If you are against providing refugee status to those who are fleeing imminent death, then it is likely you would have had the same noxious stance then as well as now. Look at how history would view that.
Using Pearl Harbor (I assume that is what the poster was intending to spell), as an example is insane. We locked up more than 100K innocent americans just because they were Japanese. The US government caused these people to lose everything they had, at an enormous expense to the rest of us.
These refugees are fleeing ISIS.. If you are against ISIS, then you should take them in.
As Arizona’s Governors and Legislature have been shown in court time and time again, immigration is a Federal matter. The States do not get to decide immigration issues. That a collection of xenophobic Republican Governors have decided otherwise says far more about those Governors and their advisers than it says about immigration policies, refugees, or immigrants.
This didn’t take long:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/11/breaking-syrian-refugee-already-missing-in-louisiana/
I’m Greece right now, and for the last week I’ve been working in the Syrian refugee camp Kara Tepe, and the refugee camp Moria on the beautiful Greek island of Lesbos. We have been interviewing and photographing Syrians, Afghanis, Iraqis in the refugee camps from day to night. The stories have been beyond epic. I sat with 7 Syrian men last night in the camp Kara Tepe who had lived through horrific events in Syria to end up in a over crowded sinking boat that costs on a average $1,200.00 per person for the 20 minute + ride, to get to Lesbos Greece. They hadn’t eaten in 4 days and only the clothes on their backs (because the boat sank and they lost everything). They have lived through so much and had a long and uncertain journey ahead of them, but they had a such gratitude, hope and peace in their eyes. I’ve met so many beautiful hopeful men, woman and children in the camps.
An interesting thing happened last night. Walking around the Syrian refugee camp Kara Tepe last night, it hit me that I felt far more at ease and secure in camp, than I do walking around 4th Ave in the evening. It’s frustrating and saddening to read about what is happening in the US. It would be nice if the people making these decisions had some clue to what is really going on, and not making false fear based decisions.
@Jeff I am Japanese/American . We can not compare Executive Order 9066 Against Americans and immigrants already living in America that went through legal immigration. They were not fleeing as refugees To Syrian refugees coming to America. The difference is a lot. I highly doubt these Syrians have gone through strict background checks involved with legal immigration. Its completely different
Blu88, Did you ask any of the refugees if they want to return to their homeland once the terrorists are removed? By the way where is the $1200 per person coming from?
I have to agree with you, it would not be fair to send them down to Fourth Ave after dark. We can’t even fix our own country.
I guess our veterans can go to the back of the line again.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/disturbing-footage-shows-migrants-violent-6260504
Dan Hyde, why do we have to fight over crumbs for veterans vs refugees, instead of going after the bastards who stole the whole cake?
President Obama, demonstrated to the entire world on national television, that his compassion for Syrian refuges exceeds his duty to the American people. Mr Obama is more then willing to risk the lives of countless number of American citizen’s. I’m sure the President, as compassion as he would appear to be, would not allow a complete stranger to enter his home, without having the knowledge of who that person is. Compassion has it’s limits. If Mr. Obama is incapable of distinguishing the difference between compassion and his duties as president, then it’s time for him to take a step back and allow someone else to lead.
Syrian refugees are not terrorists. They are average people fleeing from war, torture, rape, and poverty. As someone else said, if you are against ISIS, you should be welcoming them, since you’re on the same side. I am much more frightened of our homegrown mass murderers, like the all-American white guy who killed and injured a bunch of people in the Aurora movie theater, the young white man who shot Giffords and killed all those other people, the Confederate-flag-waving murderer who terrorized and slaughtered 9 people in a church in South Carolina, etc. (I know their names, I’m just choosing not to use them). If you want to keep yourself safe, don’t drive a car (1900 times more likely to kill you than a terrorist attack), don’t take prescription drugs (thousands of times more likely to kill you than a terrorist attack), and don’t be obese (at least 6000 times more likely to kill you than a terrorist attack). Here’s the link to those statistics. http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-terrorism….
Cubans race to beat Syrians to America:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/cubans-flood-mexico-in-bid-to-reach-u-s-1447721432
blaze_mason, nobody is comparing war victims to the mentally ill. But if the killers you mention had been screened we would have denied them entry. It only makes sense.
Linda, To be honest, I don’t believe you have the slightest idea of what you’re posting. How can you be so gullible. What is it going to take for liberals to understand the danger of their compassion ? How many innocent Americans will have to die, in order for them to realize, that not everyone is whom they would appear to be ? However, time will tell as too who is a fool and who is an idiot. I hope the left will prove us wrong. I would much rather be considered an idiot and suffer the humiliation as such, then to be a fool and be held partially responsible for the deaths of many of my fellow Americans.
They have great hearts. It’s their heads that are the problem.
Jonathan K — You have just exhibited the perfect example of white apologetics. So, according to the fearmongers and xenophobes on this thread, if a Muslim kills someone, all Muslims are therefore terrorists and guilty and must be denied refugee status or deported. If a black person kills someone, all black people are therefore criminals and should be punished. But white Christian mass murderers are always “mentally ill” and “loners,” cops who kill unarmed U.S. citizens are just “bad apples,” and all other white people are innocent. Shame on you!
You stated that two of the attackers were Syrian refugees, but from the reports I’ve seen all of the identified attackers were European Nationals. They were investigating a passport found near a boday, a passport they know to be a forgery and are waiting for fingerprint analysis to match one of the killers. While this article does a good job of trying to calm the fear mongering that the rest of the media is involved in presently, this statement does not help. If you have sources that confirm refugee status of two of the shooters please provide it, otherwise a retraction would seem to be in order.
Jay ,I don’t believe you have to be Arab, in order too be a Muslim. I don’t believe you have to be a Muslim, in order to be a terrorist. Radical Islam, doesn’t discriminate, it’s an ‘equal opportunity employer’. Non the less, what are the odd’s of members of Isis, being among the refuges, do you have a number ? Does anybody ? I don’t believe anyone could possibly answer that question. If there is any doubt or a strong possibility of it being so , should we be willing to wager the lives of countless of Americans citizens, on a mere doubt ? No we should not ! What our country needs is someone that has his priorities in order. If the leader of this nation and his constituents are willing to place their wager on the benefit of a doubt, then obviously, they don’t have their priorities in order.
“Those who oppose opening the borders for Syrian refugees have taken advantage of this very public case. It’s another story of demonizing entire groups of people over the actions of a few—people who, let’s not forget, are fleeing the exact same violence we are all afraid of: bombings, shootings, etc.”
Maria, are you sure, can you give us a guarantee, that non of or our children will become victims of terrorism, at the hands of the those whom you consider to be innocent refuges.
Are we being demonized by the right too believe that there is a strong possibility that Isis, Islamic, terrorists, could very well be among the Syrian refuges. In the other hand, are we being demonized by the left and main stream media, that the possibility is remote. No one knows the answer. No one ! As a journalist, take the time to examine both side’s of the coin, weigh in on the bad, verses the good. But then again, in order to make that judgement, you must posses the ability to distinguish the difference between right and wrong.
blaze_mason are you serious? Try reading the post without a liberal eye. I said if we had a chance to screen the killers YOU listed we would not have allowed them to enter the country. And as you said they are white.
Then you go on some racist diatribe that means absolutely nothing. All you forgot to mention was the Koch Bros and “it’s Bush’s fault.
How pitiful. Name calling does not advance your cause.
The Boston Marathon killers were here after seeking asylum. We accepted their level of risk in our society:
At the time that the Tsarnaevs applied for asylum, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar were very young. There was almost certainly nothing in their background that would have raised any red flags; apparently, there was nothing in the father’s either. Here, Leopold made a key point: “You can’t predict future behavior.” For any democratic country that wants to participate in international society, Leopold pointed out, you have to assume some level of risk.
But the officials said that it was the record of the F.B.I. interview that threw up red flags and halted, at least temporarily, Mr. Tsarnaev’s citizenship application. Federal law enforcement officials reported on Friday that the F.B.I. interviewed Mr. Tsarnaev in January 2011 at the request of the Russian government, which suspected that he had ties to Chechen terrorists. -The Wire from the Atlantic
That assumption of risk killed and injured many in Boston.
We are struggling with unemployment, low wages due to too much competition for jobs and we don’t need any more people here!
We have already reached our Refugee quota of 70,000 for this year. We are supporting the Central Americans and anyone they bring over for the rest of they lives. This is what you get as a refugee For LIFE:
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) formerly known as AFDC
∙ Medicaid
∙ Food Stamps
∙ Public Housing
∙ Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
∙ Social Security Disability Insurance
∙ Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) (direct services only)
∙ Child Care and Development Fund
∙ Independent Living Program
∙ Job Opportunities for Low Income Individuals (JOLI)
∙ Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
∙ Postsecondary Education Loans and Grants
∙ Refugee Assistance Programs
∙ Title IV Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Payments (if parents are ⌠qualified immigrants – refugees, asylees, etc)
∙ Title XX Social Services Block Grant Funds
They will not divulge how many are on Disability! But they voted to ONCE AGAIN to ROB Social Security to take up the shortfall in Disability!
How many of you have been to the Middle East? How many of you have interacted with Muslims? Been to war? I have.
I didn’t go to war to have the war imported back here under the guise of “Refugees”.
Take your pathological altruism and focus it on something that doesn’t want to be kill me at the Rialto Theater on a Friday night after a long week of work.
These people don’t like you. These people will NEVER assimilate or integrate. These people will cost money to house and support that could go towards Americans.
We can co-exist with Muslims, be we cannot live with a large number of them in our own country. Let’s try to make their own countries better, not bring them over here to impose their values on us.
If you sheep can’t wake up after Paris, or the other 30 past terrorist events perpetrated by Muslims you are willfully ignorant and should just live with them in their own countries since they can do no wrong and are such a peaceful and loving people. You can get your chance in about 10 years in CANADA.
Why is there an imaginary Greek Refugee Camp Worker here on a Tucson, AZ, USA local paper commenting on “Refugees” saying they are full of women and children? In broken English?
Could the paper release BLU88’s IP Address to make sure he isn’t a shill?
Watch “ENEMY AT THE GATES” real footage, real invaders. Wake up!
Immigration lawyer or not, anyone that believes these refugees can be fully vetted is a fool. Now here is my question. Why are 70% of all refugees, male between the ages of 18 and 45? If they are so afraid of the atrocities being committed, then why are they leaving their women and children behind?
Also, there are many more refugees than members of ISIL. Why don’t they rise up and conquer. They are unwilling to fight for their country or themselves but expect us to protect them.
After hearing the President speak it is obvious global warming is the issue he will fight to his death for. Is it to bankrupt and destroy us? Paris was simply a setback to him. And the rest of you blind supporters say by for 3 years as Obama allowed Assad to gas and murder thousands? That was not who America used to be. I don’t recognize what we have become. Nothing more than a dumping ground for the world’s problems.
This is the legacy you have allowed him to create.
Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have just joined the 37 states asking for a timeout to get a handle on what the President is doing to America.
And then John Kerry says the Jan attack on Charlie Hebdo was understandable? So he supports killing the media if you disagree with them?
So glad I have left the Democratic Party. They may have lost their minds.
It seems like most of you just WANT to be afraid, even if there is nothing to fear from refugees. Way up there in this thread, I posted a link that showed some of the real dangers in this country — but you don’t want to do anything about those issues. By repeating all this baseless fear and by denying a safe harbor to the people fleeing from ISIS, you are giving terrorists exactly what they want.
This country claims that we are innocent until proven guilty, but you don’t act like good patriots who believe in the values you claim to defend. I don’t see my view as “liberal” or “conservative.” I see it as being a compassionate human being who practices the Golden Rule.
Unless you’re 100% Native, your family immigrated here too, and some people who were already here didn’t want you either. But you were allowed in, and so should these poor people. You are not in danger from them, and even France has said that they will continue to accept refugees. Because they know that refugees were not responsible for what happened, and they’re smart enough not to blame innocent people.
A compassionate human being would establish a safe zone for them in Syria.
Trump 2016
Blaze you talk a tough story but when push came to shove on Iran threatening to “wipe Israel off the map,” I didn’t hear the same talk about moving Israelis in with your cousins in Detroit. Why was that, no compassion and no Golden Rule for the Jews?
You continue to miss the point of all this discussion. These refugees can not be vetted. There is no available info on them. And I thought it would be wrong to base it on religion…that was until I saw the Turkish muslims yesterday calling for death to the world at the soccer game.
You have to know what you’re bringing in to your home before you do it.
http://nationalreport.net/city-michigan-first-fully-implement-sharia-law/
This is still “our” country and we will have a say in it.
Hahaha. Dave, since you cowards left America’s moral compass to the liberals, I guess you’ll just have to wait for *all* of them to die. Terrorists? Me, I really don’t give much of a crap. I’m more likely to be killed driving to work and worry accordingly. Treating people like humans, acting like a patriot and a citizen instead of selling eachother out, yeah, that I care about. All your kind cares about is their taxes. So don’t lecture me on who’s gullible or courting humiliation and I won’t lecture you on taxes.
Soo these people actually think rhey wouldn’t have a connection? The only thing they need is a social media account or a phone to call back home and say whats the plan? Thats why this is so dangerous and can potentially create a bigger problem in the u.s.
Funny how the dollars signs make lawyers forget how great it is to be an American and if they do allow these people in because of these un-Americans and they commit crimes, we should do just like Israel does, tear their homes down and kick them and their relatives out of or county.
TRUMP 2016. Looks like it’s happening.
The wall is coming, and we’re going to make America great again!
Ditto, OPV.
I don’t care if these are the nicest people in the world. Where are the Chinese and Russians with $$$$ Why do we clean up the world’s messes every time? Our debt now exceeds our GDP. Russia ‘ stands at 13% Greece ‘ is more than 300% We’re now a 3rd world nation by economic definition. Who else will we bail out? Everyone wants!