U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2016, announced on Tuesday that he will be the House sponsor of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s, R-Texas, bill to crack down on terrorists entering the U.S. posing as Middle East refugees.
Cruz, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, brought out the “Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act” in the middle of November after the Islamic terrorist attacks in Paris. The bill would stop refugees from Iraq, Syria and other countries where terrorist groups control large territories.
“After watching the horrific scenes play out in Paris, we have to take basic steps to protect ourselves from the growing threat of radical Islamic terrorism,” Cruz said when he brought the bill out on Nov. 18. “This legislation will do just that.”
The proposal, which would sunset in three years, would also ban refugees from Libya, Somalia and Yemen while giving the State Department room to add other countries to the list. Cruz’s proposal would give refugees an avenue to apply to come to the U.S. but they would have to prove beyond a doubt they are part of a group the State Department determines is facing genocide.
When he brought out the bill, Cruz insisted that Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists would pose as refugees to enter the U.S.
“As the American people are now painfully aware, ISIS has emerged as the new face of the radical terror that has bedeviled the West in recent decades,” Cruz said. “Unlike some regional jihadists, ISIS represents a direct and growing threat to our citizens, and increasingly to our homeland itself. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has clearly lacked focus on national security interests. I believe we must do everything we can to prevent even a very few jihadis from slipping into our nation and urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to protect the American people.”
DeSantis announced on Tuesday that he would sponsor Cruz’s bill in the House.
“Congress must take action to secure any vulnerabilities within our refugee resettlement program that terrorists could exploit to harm the American people,” DeSantis said. “Government officials such as the FBI director acknowledge that they cannot adequately screen refugees from terrorist havens such as Syria and bad actors such as ISIS have already stated their intent to use these programs to infiltrate the United States. The first duty of the United States government is to protect the American people."
DeSantis is running for the U.S. Senate in 2016 as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., like Cruz, is aiming for the Republican presidential nomination.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
