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The White House on Syrian Refugees in the United States

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Last week the White House released information on Syrian Refugees in America in a brief report that they titled “By the Numbers.”

Foremost, the administration communicates that not helping “would be a betrayal of our deepest values as Americans.”  That is why the White House commits to “provide refuge to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”  The White House reports that, to date, the United States has admitted just 2,034 Syrian refugees (of 7,014 that were interviewed).  The White House states that none of these re-settled Syrians have been “arrested or removed on terrorism charges.”

    Amy Pope, the Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, discusses the White House position on the Syrian refugee situation, stating that the foremost objective of the White House is “the safety and security of the American people,” while at the same time the White House must stand with our allies and fight terrorism.  As we fight terrorism, “we cannot turn our backs on those most threatened by the terrorist group,” the refugees. “To slam the door in their faces, to decide not to help when we know that we can help , would be a betrayal of our values. It would be un-American.”  I urge all American citizens to understand these words, written by Emma Lazarus, which are inscribed on our Statue of Liberty: “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.”  Who among us Americans did not have family that came to America in search of a safe home at one point?

That is why I support the President’s plan to resettle at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States next year; this will be done under an intense, multi-step screening process. The White House remains committed to the plan to re-settle Syrians “because it is consistent with our values and our national security.” I agree, our country was built on people who needed a safe home from which to build a future for their families. It is our core value as a nation to help those in need.  That is who we are as Americans.  Ms. Pope states that “the Administration rejects the flawed view that we can’t ensure our own safety while also welcoming refugees desperately seeking their own safety. The truth is: America can and must do both.”  In my mind, I think about if it was America under siege; what if it was my family that was trying to find refuge in a safe, far away, place, tired, scared, and desperate- what would I think if the global community denied me refuge?  We cannot, as a nation, ignore the plight of others.  Stand in support of the White House in welcoming Syrian refugees.

 

 

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