The Syrian situation

COEUR d’ALENE — The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program will continue its plans to resettle Syrians in Idaho regardless of the concerns expressed by more than two dozen governors this week.

Governor Butch Otter was among the governors who asked President Barack Obama to suspend the program until the vetting process for all foreigners crossing U.S. borders is fully reviewed and state concerns about the program are addressed.

Otter met with the White House staff via conference call last week and asked for a seat at the table to review the review the refugee program and suggest some changes to ensure terrorists are not taking advantage of the program.

“He spoke with senior staff on the issue,” said Otter’s spokesman, Jon Hanian. “He was told ‘we are doing a great job, and we are not going to change the program.’”

Hanian said Otter told the White House staff the Federal Bureau of Investigations recently announced they are investigating terrorist activities in all 50 states, and he asked how many of those investigations involve refugees.

“They couldn’t answer that question,” Hanian said. “We feel that is a reasonable concern, so we asked them to hit the pause button.”

Hanian said the governor just wants some assurance that the refugees coming to the U.S. have been thoroughly vetted.

“It really is the height of folly to turn a blind eye to what people feel is a legitimate concern,” he said. “But as of right now, they have shut us out.” Hanian said the governor is not unsympathetic to the refugees and their plight, but he wants to ensure the safety of Idahoans is taken into consideration.

“The governor’s number one priority is public safety,” he said.

And while the governor has vowed to use all legal means necessary to prevent Syrian refugees from resettling in Idaho until his concerns are addressed, the fact remains he has very little input on the matter.

According to Mark Kadel, with World Relief in Spokane, the constitution indicates the executive branch has the sole authority to dictate immigration laws.

“Our president sets immigration policy,” he said. Otter himself acknowledged that fact in the letter he sent to President Obama last week.

“While I understand that immigration and refugee resettlement are authorized under federal law, I am duty-bound to do whatever I can to protect the people of Idaho from harm,” Otter wrote. “Instead of Congress rubber-stamping this program each year, we ask that you and Congress work with states and governors to thoroughly review this process and how states are affected.”

Kadel said much of the hysteria that followed the terrorist attacks in Paris last week is unfounded.

“In the 36-year history of the program, there hasn’t been one refugee arrested for any terrorist-related crime,” he said, adding he finds it appalling that all of this stems from someone finding a Syrian passport related to one of the terrorists in Paris.

He said the vetting program for every Syrian coming to resettle in the U.S. go through an 18-to-24-month vetting process that is very thorough.

Kadel provided documentation on the five-step vetting process. First, he said, in most cases the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees determines that the individual qualifies as a refugee under international law.

The law defines a refugee as someone who has fled from his or her home country and cannot return because he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

Secondly, A refugee that meets one of the criteria for resettlement in the U.S. is referred to the U.S. government, and then a Resettlement Support Center, contracted by the U.S. Department of State, compiles the refugee’s personal data and background information for the security clearance process and to present to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for an in-person interview.

Using that information, a number of security checks are conducted, according to the documents. The State Department runs the names of all refugees referred to the U.S. for resettlement through a standard Consular Lookout and Support System name check. In addition, enhanced interagency security checks were phased in beginning in 2008 and applied to all refugee applicants by 2010.

In some cases refugees undergo an additional security review called a Security Advisory Opinion. These cases require a positive SAO clearance from a number of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies in order to continue the resettlement process. When required, this step runs concurrently with Step 4.

Kadel said it is important to note that the refugees are running away from the very behavior that played itself out in Paris.

“These refugees are not terrorists, they are the victims,” he said.

Recent media reports say that Idaho has already received 35 Syrian refugees, and 20 of them are children.