The Refugee Process

Below is an excerpt from a Heritage Foundation piece in regards to the refugee process. Looks like Obama/and or the Executive Branch and the State Department can decide who and how many we can allow into our country without a whole lot of input from Congress or We The People.

The U.S. Refugee System
U.S. law gives the executive branch near complete discretion on determining how many refugees can be admitted every year. The State Department sets the number each year based on the unrest in the world, though it can change the number at any point. Congress is to be consulted, but nothing in the process empowers Congress to stop or alter the State Department’s proposed levels. For each of the past several years, the U.S. has taken in about 70,000 refugees from around the world. Secretary of State John Kerry has announced an increase to 85,000 for 2016,[7] and to 100,000 in 2017.[8] At least 10,000 slots in 2016 will be reserved for Syrians.

The State Department then fields refugee requests, primarily coming from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department then run background checks and interview the refugee applicants.[9] If approved, the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services work with approved private-sector voluntary agencies (VOLAGs) to resettle refugees in the U.S.[10] The State Department estimates that it generally takes between 12 and 18 months from application to entering the U.S.[11].

To read the entire article click here:

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2015/10/the-rising-tide-of-migrants-and-refugees-due-diligence-and-adherence-to-law-required
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