Tulsa World - Helping the World's Refugees and Keeping America Safe

Op-Ed

By Rep. Cole

If you have followed the news even remotely over the past two years or so, coverage of the Middle East has documented an escalating conflict due to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the region. The terrorist organization's senseless acts of violence, terrorism and oppression have uprooted many individuals and families and even reduced communities to rubble. Whatever the plight of these Syrian and Iraqi refugees that has caused them to flee, the mass exit from their homes and countries is a very real crisis that must be handled carefully by America and our allies in the days ahead.

While I don't doubt that many refugees are genuinely trying to escape the volatile situation in the Middle East and seeking safe haven for their families, I remain skeptical about accepting them in large numbers into the United States under the current screening and surveillance system. Unfortunately, in wake of the recent Paris attacks, it is evident that ISIS seeks to spread its influence through heinous and senseless acts of terror far beyond the area it occupies. Considering that one of the Paris attackers posed as a refugee from Syria when he entered Europe, we know that ISIS will continue to use the refugee tragedy and any other means necessary to smuggle terrorists into other countries, infiltrate western society and pick up recruits to spread more violence around the world.

Without question, we must be certain that isn't allowed to happen in the United States when opening our doors to refugees. Our first obligation and duty is to keep American citizens safe and prevent terrorists from wreaking havoc in the United States. Therefore, we must adequately anticipate, prevent and answer threats to our national security. Especially having seen what is capable of happening in Paris and Beirut by this evil enemy and after ISIS's downing of a Russian airliner, I believe that U.S. security officials have an obligation to verify that any individuals resettled on American soil pose no risk to the safety of our citizens.

Last week, in response to the increasing influence of ISIS and the terrorist organization's suspected exploitation of refugees, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act to halt admission of Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the United States. Speaker Paul Ryan explained, "If our law enforcement and intelligence community cannot verify that each and every person coming here is not a security threat, then they shouldn't be allowed in. Right now, the government can't certify these standards, so this plan pauses the program. It's a security test -- not a religious test. This reflects our values."

It's important to understand that the SAFE Act doesn't prevent refugees from ever seeking safe haven in our country. Rather, it requires that, before we accept them into our country, improvements be made to the refugee vetting process, including extra scrutiny during background checks. It also requires the FBI Director, Secretary of Homeland Security and Director of National Intelligence to independently verify and vow that any individual resettled in our country poses no security risk to America.

I believe that these higher standards for vetting are the responsible and appropriate thing to do. It reassures the American people that our compassion will not be wrongly extended to persons who thirst for violence and want to destroy us. I reject the notion that the only way to express the values and compassion of America is by allowing upwards of 10,000 refugees into our country. We have already demonstrated our willingness to lend a helping hand by sending generous humanitarian aid both public and private, and I expect such generosity to continue in the months ahead.

Unfortunately, the refugee crisis is a worsening symptom of the overarching problem: ISIS is not contained. As long as the terrorist organization is allowed to gain ground in Iraq and Syria, refugees will continue to flee and seek safe haven elsewhere. If we truly want to help these people who are being driven away from their homelands, the United States needs to exercise strong resolve in containing and ultimately defeating enemies at the source of the conflict. But that demands a clear strategy from the Obama administration.

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