House GOP bill would reclaim Congress’ authority over refugee admissions, end DHS parole authority

FIRST ON FOX: A new bill tabled this week by Republicans in the House of Representatives would reclaim Congressional authority over the admission of refugees to the United States, create new forms of scrutiny, and end the Homeland Security Secretary’s ability to immigrate to the United States released on parole

The Safeguards Ensuring Criminal and Unvetted Refugees don’t Enter (SECURE) America Act, introduced by Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., Would reclaim the authority to set an annual cap on refugees from the executive branch, which means caps of a joint resolution of the Congress.

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Under the Trump administration, the annual cap was lowered to 15,000 and quickly increased to 125,000 by the Biden administration, while at the same time it began to accept an estimated 95,000 Afghan refugees outside that cap.

Rosendale, speaking to Fox News, described a pendulum swing between governments on issues such as immigration and refugee reception since Congress delegated these powers to the executive branch.

“So there is no consistency or predictability from anyone, whether we are talking about immigration, refugee issues, or just business in general, and so Congress needs to regain authority in all of these areas,” he said.

“If we look at the invasion of our country over the past 10 months, immigration is a big part of it,” he said.

The bill would also remove the DHS ‘power to parole refugees and migrants in the United States. While probation is intended to be used on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian purposes or a significant public benefit, the Biden administration has used it extensively to accommodate tens of thousands of Afghans. Fox News reported Wednesday that it is also used extensively on the southern border, with more than 30,000 migrants paroled since August.

The bill would also introduce additional screening requirements, including the fact that the Secretary of Homeland Security, FBI Director and Director of National Intelligence all certify that a refugee poses no threat to national security. The screening would also include “assimilation likelihood screening” to ensure that those coming to the US hold views that are US-compatible and do not support religious violence or a separate religious legal system.

It comes amid security clearance fears raised by Republicans and fueled by a series of allegations of criminal activity at military bases holding Afghans. Administration officials defended what they termed the “multilayered” system, noting that crime rates are lower than the general population, given the number of refugees in the base.

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“We screen and screen people before they fly to the US, and this screening and review process is an ongoing and multi-faceted one,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last month.

A White House official told Fox News that the screening and security are being carried out by intelligence, law enforcement and counterterrorism officials from multiple agencies.

Rosendale was an early critic of the efforts to relocate Afghans to the United States and was one of the first Republicans to oppose their relocation to his home state.

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“So I spoke up before the withdrawal began, you could see on the horizon that this government would use this as an excuse to bring hundreds of thousands of people out of Afghanistan and try to bring them to the” United States without proper scrutiny. ” , he said.

The bill would also transfer power to the states by notifying governors or executives 30 days prior to the resettlement of refugees in their state and giving them the power to refuse proposed movements of refugees to their states. It would also require that any refugee who commits a violent crime be ordered to be deported from the country.

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The bill, which includes more than a dozen co-sponsors including Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., Lance Gooden, R-Texas, Bob Good, R-Va., And Mary Miller, R-Ill., Is the recent Republican efforts on refugee issues.

Last week, House Republicans on the oversight committee asked the DHS inspector general’s office to investigate the processes behind the Afghan withdrawal effort. The OIG said it confirms or does not deny whether an investigation is ongoing.