Trump administration to announce tougher refugee screening procedures

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Trump administration to announce tougher refugee screening procedures

Refugees seeking entry into the United States could soon face new screening rules. Admission of most refugees into the U.S. has been banned since President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June, but that’s about to end.

CGTN’s Toby Muse reports.
Follow Toby Muse on Twitter @tobymuse

Tuesday marks the end of President Donald Trump’s 120-day ban on refugees to the United States which was designed to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country.

During the past four months, the U.S. State Department and Homeland Security have been overseeing changes to the screening process for those applying for refugee status.

The Trump Administration is expected to announce stiffer measures on refugees attempting to enter the U.S. This is part of Trump’s promise of “extreme vetting.” Under a more rigorous examination, U.S. authorities are expected to review social media accounts and collect more biographical information.

They’ll be looking for signs of whether those applying are sympathetic to terrorist groups or could pose a risk to the U.S.

Trump has already limited the number of refugees coming into the country. Under his order, the number of refugees is now capped at 45,000 for the 12 months that began in October. Some in the administration are pushing for an even lower target.

According to the Wall Street Journal, refugee admissions to the U.S. will resume for all countries, although there will reportedly be additional vetting for people from close to a dozen targeted countries.

The fate of refugees has been a part of heated political arguments for some time now. It’s a subject that touches on immigration and protecting the U.S. from terror attacks.

Trump made protecting U.S. borders a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. Soon after taking office, he attempted to block people from a number of mainly Muslim countries from entering the country. This was met with huge protests by citizens at a number of airports.

Eventually courts blocked the move. The president attempted to reintroduce the travel ban, but that too was blocked.