The Investigative Project on Terrorism
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America’s Refugee, Asylum, and Visa Waiver
Programs: Our Entire Access System is Broken
Foreigners, including refugees, have no basic or universal right to enter the United States; that
entry is granted as a privilege. In today’s complex and dangerous environment, and in light of
the growing worldwide terror threat, entry into this country is a matter of national security.
Lawmakers and the immigration and refugee agencies have the responsibility to design and
implement programs that protect the homeland.
President Obama has consistently downplayed the terror risks involved in the refugee crisis.
Speaking shortly after the Paris terror attacks led to widespread reluctance to admit these
refugees into the U.S., Obama admonished his critics: “We are not well served when, in
response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic. We don’t make good decisions if
it’s based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks.”
It is highly doubtful, however, that critics of Obama’s plan really are exaggerating the risks,
since there are multiple cases of individuals coming to the U.S. as refugees only to get involved
in terrorist activity later. In addition, the U.S. refugee system already is overtaxed and could be
overloaded to the point of breakdown with the new refugee influx. Moreover, it is not just
America’s refugee program that is vulnerable: virtually every aspect of our apparatus for
immigration, particularly our systems for granting asylum and refugee status, including the Visa
Waiver Program, is broken and on the verge of collapse.
This report will examine three potential points of entry into the U.S. – the Visa Waiver Program,
the system for admitting refugees, and the system for granting asylum
– to show how terrorists are taking advantage of weaknesses in each, and will recommend how each can be repaired.
http://www.investigativeproject.org/reports/
