Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) expressed concern over the Biden administration’s potential acceptance of Palestinian refugees into the United States, arguing that the government is incapable of properly vetting for terror threats. The GOP lawmaker highlighted the fact that Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Jordan have not taken any initiative to welcome Palestinian refugees.
Blackburn emphasized the importance of protecting American citizens, stating, “Our country cannot afford more failed leadership and not knowing who is coming into this country who may wish us harm. We would like to see the president rescind this and review his priorities and make it his priority to protect the American people.” The Florida Governor further elaborated on the potential threat posed by Palestinian refugees, highlighting the actions of Hamas militants during past conflicts: “What we’ve seen over there, and we’ve seen the reflections in our own society of people out protesting in favor of Hamas terrorists—I mean these are people that cooked babies in ovens while they were raping the baby’s mothers, executing elderly people.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explained that once granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), an individual cannot be detained by DHS on the basis of his or her immigration status in the United States. Thousands of people in the Palestinian territories are facing significant challenges, with access to clean water, nutrition, and medical care becoming increasingly difficult due to conflict and unrest.
The letter from GOP members urged the Biden administration to reconsider its plans to accept Gazan refugees, stating that the national security risk posed by this population is too high. They pointed out that border officials arrested a “record-setting number” of people on the FBI’s terror watch lists in fiscal year 2023, which exceeded previous years combined.
The letter continued, “Apprehended terrorists include a Hezbollah fighter who intended ‘to make a bomb’ and was headed for New York. Given your administration’s abject failure at countering the flow of potential terrorists at our border, how can Congress trust your administration to adequately vet the refugees crossing the Egypt-Gaza border, located nearly 6,000 miles away from Washington, D.C.
It remains unclear if the Biden administration will proceed with its plans to accept Palestinian refugees and what measures may be implemented to ensure proper vetting for potential security risks.