Rep. Miller on DHS Efforts to Address Growing Threat of Foreign Fighters

Statement

U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10), Vice Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, issued the following statement after today's announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that it will be making changes to its Visa Waiver Program to improve our ability to identify and stop foreign fighters attempting to enter the United States:

"Over the past year, tens of thousands of young men and women from across the globe have been recruited by terrorist organizations, like ISIL, that aspire to attack Americans here on U.S. soil. Many of these recruits hold passports from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada and other Western nations that participate in our Visa Waiver Program, making them just one flight away from the United States.

"Today, DHS announced that it will begin implementing new measures aimed at reducing the threat posed by foreign fighters attempting to enter the U.S. including, requiring the use of e-passports for all Visa Waiver Program travelers to increase fraud prevention, increasing the presence of federal air marshals on U.S.-bound flights, requiring our allies in the Visa Wavier Program to begin screening travelers in and out of Europe against INTERPOL's lost and stolen passport database, and improving the reporting of foreign fighters between multilateral security organizations.

"Additionally, DHS announced its intention to increase screening for refugees and foreigners seeking asylum in the U.S., which I strongly support. In fact, earlier this year, my colleagues on Homeland Security and I wrote to the National Security Advisor expressing our concern with U.S. screening procedures for the tens of thousands of refugees the Department of State is bringing here to the U.S. from Syria -- home to the largest convergence of Islamist terrorists in world history.

"I commend DHS for taking these steps to address the very real threat foreign fighters pose to our Homeland. However, I do believe that more should be done.

"Over the past year, I have repeatedly expressed concern over the grave threat they pose to our security here at home. In March, my Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security conducted a hearing to examine U.S. efforts to combat terrorist travel, specifically efforts to stop terrorists from exploiting weaknesses with our Visa Waiver Program.

"Last Congress, and again this Congress, I introduced legislation, the Visa Waiver Improvement Act, that would incentivize our partners in the Visa Waiver Program to provide the U.S. with the intelligence needed to combat terror threats by authorizing DHS to suspend their participation in the program if they fail to do so. If we do not have good intelligence on the travel of these fighters, or if our allies are not appropriately sharing information, U.S. citizens could be at risk, which is why DHS must have the authority provided by my bill to suspend their participation. Earlier this summer, my legislation was passed by the full Committee, and it is my hope that it will soon be considered by the full House. We have an obligation to ensure our agencies have every tool necessary to safeguard the Homeland."

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