Heritage Action: Beware Obama expansion of the definition of ‘refugee’

This is from two weeks ago, but it just came to my attention.  From Heritage Action Sentinel (hat tip: Joanne):

Refugee Memorandum: President Obama recently issued an executive memorandum that will allow for a limited number of children in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to apply for refugee status if they have relatives legally residing in the U.S. This policy is problematic in that it requires officials to justify the refugee status by loosening criteria. Although this proposal may currently be limited in scope, there is concern the administration would then use this justification to offer asylum to thousands of children here illegally, amounting to a massive loophole for administrative amnesty.

The U.S. is already the number one country of resettlement in the world, accepting 66,200 *** refugees in 2013. Our refugee and asylum policy does not need a politically motivated expansion that would trample current law while inviting another surge of illegal crossings. Congress should respond to any new avenue granting executive amnesty with legislation that stops the Obama Administration from continuing to break the law.

See Heritage’s report by clicking here.

Glad to see that it isn’t just the usual immigration restriction groups sounding the alarm.

*** Eskinder Negash, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, put the number at 143,000.  Go here to see how he gets that number.

Spread the love

Leave a Reply