[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 25 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 25

   Expressing the sense of Congress on the admission of refugees and 
                    immigrants to the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 15, 2017

  Ms. Adams (for herself, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Moore, Ms. Clarke of New 
York, Mr. Hastings, Mr. McGovern, and Mr. Soto) submitted the following 
   concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of Congress on the admission of refugees and 
                    immigrants to the United States.

Whereas, on January 27, 2017, the President of the United States signed an 
        Executive order titled ``Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist 
        Entry Into the United States'';
Whereas this Executive order suspends the Issuance of Visas and Other 
        Immigration Benefits to Nationals of Countries of Particular Concern, 
        which include the countries Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, 
        and Yemen; and suspension of the issuance of visas and other immigration 
        benefits will last 90 days;
Whereas agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection were also instructed to 
        detain all lawful permanent residents from the above countries at U.S. 
        Ports of Entry;
Whereas this Executive order instructs that ``The Secretary of State shall 
        suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 120 days.'';
Whereas the President stated in the Executive order, ``I hereby proclaim that 
        the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the 
        interests of the United States and thus suspend any such entry until 
        such time as I have determined that sufficient changes have been made to 
        the USRAP to ensure that admission of Syrian refugees is consistent with 
        the national interest.''; and Congress does not agree with this 
        determination;
Whereas the execution of this Executive order did not make any provision for 
        individuals already in transit to the United States under the U.S. 
        Refugee Admission Program (USRAP); and as a consequence, multiple 
        individuals and families were denied entry at U.S. ports of entry after 
        already fleeing highly dangerous and unsafe conditions in their country 
        of origin;
Whereas the Executive order is the first Executive order since 2001 to suspend 
        refugee resettlement;
Whereas since 2001, the refugee admissions process has been expanded to include 
        more agencies and review processes in determining the security risk of 
        each individual applying for resettlement;
Whereas today, the refugee admissions process can take up to 18 to 24 months. 
        Applying individuals must pass through a series of security screenings, 
        including biographic and biometric checks, medical screenings, forensic 
        document testing, and in-person interviews; their information is 
        reviewed against law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including 
        the Department of State, Department of National Counterterrorism Center, 
        Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department 
        of Homeland Security, and other Federal agencies;
Whereas the spouse of the individual who carried out an act of terrorism on 
        December 2, 2015, in San Bernardino, California, was admitted to the 
        United States on a K-1 visa for spouses of U.S. citizens; she did not 
        apply for refugee resettlement; and the review process for a K-1 visa is 
        not part of the U.S. Refugee Admission Program;
Whereas furthermore, this Executive order also instructs the Secretary of State 
        to immediately suspend the Visa Interview Waiver Program and ``requires 
        that all individuals seeking a nonimmigrant visa undergo an in-person 
        interview, subject to specific statutory exceptions'';
Whereas the suspension of the Visa Interview Waiver Program will significantly 
        increase the processing time for all visa renewals, including for 
        students pursuing their education in the United States; and individuals 
        that renew visas through the Visa Interview Waiver Program are an 
        important contribution to U.S. institutions of higher learning and the 
        U.S. economy; and
Whereas if these individuals under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program or 
        applying to receive a visa were involved in credible threats against the 
        United States, immigration, intelligence, and law enforcement officials 
        would have already carried out enforcement action to prevent any 
        terrorist attack: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Executive order titled ``Protecting the Nation From 
        Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States'' is not a 
        testament to the United States as a Nation that is welcoming to 
        all regardless of race, religion, or country of origin;
            (2) the President must immediately allow for the continued 
        entry of refugees that have already been granted admission to 
        the United States by the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program;
            (3) the United States should continue to resettle refugees 
        that need protection regardless of their country of origin;
            (4) lawful permanent residents be granted entry into the 
        United States regardless of their country of origin; and
            (5) the Visa Interview Waiver Program not be suspended 
        while the Secretary of State conducts a review of all 
        nonimmigrant visa reciprocity agreements to ensure that there 
        are no disruptions to communities, institutions of education, 
        and interstate commerce.
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