What Changed by Strengthening the Refugee Screening Process?

A series of measures are being implemented by the United State at the Federal agency level to help ensure an improved refugee asylum screening process to address national security standards in lieu of past attacks on our soil. The State Department is claiming the new measures are needed to keep “nefarious and fraudulent actors” from taking advantage of the last administration’s more accessible refugee process for entering the country. The tougher measures come after a 120-day refugee resettlement pause, established by the Federal government in order to conduct a thorough review of the previous administration’s program.

“The security of the American people is this administration’s highest priority, and these improved vetting measures are essential for American security,” said Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke in an Oct. 24, 2017 press release. “These new, standardized screening measures provide an opportunity for the United States to welcome those in need into our country, while ensuring a safer, more secure homeland.”

New Refugee Screening Process Measures

The following are additional procedures that have been implemented by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that individuals seeking asylum in our country do not pose a threat to the safety, security, and welfare of others in the United States:

• Increased data collection for more thorough applicant investigations.
• Better information sharing between agencies to identify potential threats and bad actors.
• New training procedures to strengthen screener ability to detect fraud and deception.

Refugee and Asylum Seeker Facts and Statistics

The following facts and statistics on refugee resettlement comes from news reports, the Pew Research Center, and U.S. government sources:

• In fiscal year 2017, the U.S. admitted 52,000 refugees and roughly 85,000 in fiscal year 2016, which is the most ever admitted in more than 15 years, according to the Government Accounting Office.
• The Trump administration has set a clear ceiling for the number of refugees admitted for fiscal years 2018 at 45,000.
• In 2015, there were more than 60 million (or nearly 1-in-100 people) displaced peoples world-wide, according to Pew Research Center.
• From 2011 to 2016, there were approximately 12.5 million Syrians (or roughly six-in-ten) displaced from their homes.
• Nearly half of all refugees entering the U.S. in 2016 were Muslim.
• In the aftermath of November 2015 Islamic State attacks in Paris, 53 percent of Americans said they did not want to accept the Syrian refugee.
• In the last several decades, U.S. public opinion has opposed accepting large numbers of foreigners from war-torn and oppressed countries.
• The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a current backlog of approximately 300,000 asylum cases. Most of those cases are from Central America, where refugees are fleeing from violence in the region.

Contact a Los Angeles Asylum Immigration Lawyer at the Hanlon Law Group, P.C.

Are you here in the United State seeking asylum? Fortunately, we are aware of what the USCIS is looking for and know how to confront updated measures aimed at keeping foreigners out of the U.S. So, if you value the freedoms offered in our country, contact a Los Angeles Asylum Immigration Lawyer at the Hanlon Law Group, P.C. For more than 15 years, our Los Angeles asylum lawyer has been successfully representing clients in various types of immigration cases, applying various strategies aimed at getting the best outcome possible.

We know what the USCIS is looking for and it will be our solemn vow to help you prepare the best case for getting granted asylum. Contact us today by calling (626) 684-3712 or (866) 227-5527 or by emailing us using the form at the upper right-hand side of the screen.