HEARING CONTENTS: OCTOBER 1, 2015 OVERSIGHT OF THE ADMINISTRATION S FY 2016 REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM: FISCAL AND SECURITY IMPLICATIONS

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1 OCTOBER 1, 2015 OVERSIGHT OF THE ADMINISTRATION S FY 2016 REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM: FISCAL AND SECURITY IMPLICATIONS U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND THE NATIONAL INTEREST ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION HEARING CONTENTS: MEMBER STATEMENTS Chuck Grassley R (IA) [View pdf] Patrick Leahy D (VT) [View pdf] Dick Durbin D (IL) [View pdf] WITNESS TESTIMONY Larry Bartlett [View pdf] Director of Admissions Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration United States Department of State Washington, D.C. Barbara Strack [View pdf] Chief, Refugee Affairs Division United States Citizenship and Immigration Services United States Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. This hearing compilation was prepared by the Homeland Security Digital Library, Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

2 Matthew Emrich [View pdf] Associate Director, Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate United States Citizenship and Immigration Services United States Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. Robert Carey [View pdf] Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement United States Department of Health and Human Services Washington, D.C. AVAILABLE WEBCAST(S)*: [Full Hearing] COMPILED FROM: * Please note: Any external links included in this compilation were functional at its creation but are not maintained thereafter. This hearing compilation was prepared by the Homeland Security Digital Library, Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

3 Statement by Chuck Grassley Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest Oversight of the Administration s FY 2016 Refugee Resettlement Program: Fiscal and Security Implications October 1, 2015 I appreciate the Chairman of this subcommittee for holding a hearing on this very important topic. The Immigration and Nationality Act requires that the President report to Congress regarding the foreseeable number of refugees who will be in need of resettlement during the fiscal year. Secretary Kerry consulted with members of this committee and provided some background on the President s request. This hearing helps fulfill our statutory responsibility to review the President s proposal. The United States welcomes more refugees than the rest of the world s countries combined. There s no question that we will continue to play a critical role in helping those around the world who are suffering or are persecuted. 1

4 Nevertheless, the American people are very concerned about the role this country will play in solving the problems in the Middle East. The President s refugee proposal includes a plan to accept more than 10,000 refugees who are fleeing from Syria. ISIS and other terrorist groups have made it abundantly clear that they will use the refugee crisis to try to enter the United States. And, it s becoming apparent that people in other countries are attempting to hide in the masses in order to enter Europe. Reports suggest that a vast number of those fleeing Syria are neither Syrian nor refugees. The International Organization for Migration reports that only 40% of those showing up at Europe s borders are Syrians. Some suggest that people from Iraq, Afghanistan, and sub-saharan Africa are fleeing their homelands and taking advantage of the crisis. 2

5 If the Obama administration wants to bring in an additional ten thousand Syrians, it must present a concrete and foolproof plan to ensure that terrorists won't be able to enter the country. And, the administration needs to show that it has enlisted the help of other capable, affluent nations in the Middle East to deal with the crisis in Syria. I have several questions for our witnesses, including how the administration will screen individuals for terrorist ties, and just as importantly, what it will do if it finds out an individual is a terrorist after that person has been granted refugee status. Before agreeing to accept tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, the Obama administration must prove to the American people that it will take the necessary precautions to ensure that national security is a top priority, especially at a time when ruthless terrorist groups like ISIS are committed to finding ways to enter the United States and harm Americans. 3

6 Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee, On the Hearing on the Administration s FY 2016 Refugee Resettlement Program, Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest October 1, 2015 The United Nations estimates that in 2014, there were almost 60 million refugees and internally displaced people around the globe. Not since World War II has the world faced such a refugee crisis. It is therefore entirely appropriate that we are turning our attention to our own capacity to assist and resettle refugees. As a nation of immigrants, the United States has long benefitted from the flow of new arrivals, including people who have fled violence and war. In my home state of Vermont, I have seen how the admission of these refugees and asylum seekers about 6,700 since 1989 has revitalized and enriched our communities, resulting in the creation of new businesses, safer neighborhoods, and stronger schools. As they become small business owners, nurses, and soccer coaches, these new neighbors contribute to the wellbeing and vibrancy of our communities, and their culture enriches ours. Refugee resettlement is a challenging undertaking, but the benefits to our communities and our country can be so rewarding. In fact, a recent study has found that welcoming refugees has a positive, or at least a neutral, effect on a host community s economy and wages. After September 11, 2001, we understandably slowed our efforts to resettle refugees while we improved our immigration processes and implemented tougher screening measures. Since then, we have been slowly returning to our historic high refugee admission numbers, which in some years involved the successful resettlement of more than 100,000 individuals. The current crisis demands we do more -- now. We have a moral obligation to act and it is time that we again step forward and lead by example. As Pope Francis said on his historic visit to the United States last week, We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. Our response to this global refugee crisis must be humane, whether we are responding to those fleeing uncontrolled gang violence in Central America or those fleeing civil war in Syria. I have been awed by the response of Syria s neighbors, like tiny Lebanon, which has now taken in more than one million refugees. In contrast, we have done everything to avoid taking refugees on our own border. We have tried to seal Mexico s southern border, effectively locking in mothers and children fleeing extreme violence. We have built a new detention facility, run by the private prison company Corrections Corporation of American, to lock up those who make it this far at a cost of more than $800,000 a day. The Pope was right to call on us to do better. We must treat these vulnerable families with the same compassion with which we want to be treated. The United States has learned much in the 14 years since 9/11. We must apply that knowledge. We can and must be careful, but we can be more efficient. Our refugee resettlement program, including our community and faith-based partners, is a program of which we should be proud. Let us use that program to rise to the challenge before us and increase our refugee admission numbers. The time is now.

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8 Opening Statement of Senator Dick Durbin Oversight of the Administration s FY 2016 Refugee Resettlement Program: Fiscal and Security Implications. Immigration Subcommittee Hearing October 1, 2015 We are in the midst of the worst refugee crisis on record, with almost 60 million people forcibly displaced from their homes. The conflict in Syria is the epicenter of this crisis. We all remember the heartbreaking image of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in the Mediterranean. The truth is that an entire generation of Syrian children is at risk. More than half of Syria s 23 million people have been forced from their homes. More than four million Syrians are registered as refugees, including almost two million children. More than ten thousand Syrian children have been killed, and thousands are unaccompanied or separated from their parents. These are not economic migrants, as some have claimed. They are refugees who are fleeing for their lives. The poet Warsan Shire, who is herself a refugee from Somalia, put it well when she wrote, No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land. The Syrian refugee crisis has placed a great strain on the front-line countries that are hosting millions of Syria refugees. The tiny country of Lebanon, with a population of 4.2 million, is hosting 1.2 million registered Syrian refugees, the most refugees per capita in the world. This is almost 30 percent of Lebanon s population, the equivalent of the United States facing an influx of 100 million refugees. The United States has a moral obligation to help Syrian refugees, but it is also in our national interest to restore stability in this critical region. We have taken some positive steps to address the crisis. The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees. Three years ago, I pushed the Administration to grant temporary protected status to Syrians. As a result, the United States is providing safe haven to hundreds of Syrian visitors who were in the country on temporary visas. And last year, after a hearing I held on the Syrian refugee crisis, the Administration issued exemptions to the material support bar which will make it easier for Syrian refugees to obtain refugee status. But so far we have only accepted around 1600 Syrian refugees for resettlement, a paltry number that must increase dramatically. In May, I joined with Senator Klobuchar and 13 other Senators in asking the Administration to admit at least 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of The Administration has now said that we will accept 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year. That is a positive development, but we must do more. With the crisis worsening, Refugee Council USA, a nonpartisan coalition of the leading U.S. refugee organizations is now calling for the United States to resettle 200,000 refugees, including 100,000 Syrians. I agree. This generation of Americans needs to live up to the example set by those who came before us. Our nation s founders came to our shores to escape religious persecution, and the United States has a long tradition of providing safe haven to refugees. Following the international community s tragic failure to shelter Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi genocide, the United States played a leadership role in establishing the international legal regime for the protection of

9 refugees. Since that time, the American people have generously welcomed millions of refugees fleeing war and totalitarian regimes. For example: After World War II, we accepted almost 400,000 Eastern Europeans. The Vietnam War led to us resettling almost 400,000 Vietnamese refugees. After Castro came to power, we accepted approximately 650,000 Cuban refugees. And we resettled more than 150,000 refugees from the former Yugoslavia. Just as they have during these previous crises, the American people are showing they re ready to welcome refugees into their communities. In fact, I ve received several letters from Illinois residents who are prepared to host Syrian refugees in their homes. Some who oppose refugee resettlement have argued that refugees are a fiscal burden. That s simply not true. According to a recent study by the Migration Policy Institute, refugees are more likely to be employed than the U.S. born population; and refugees participation in public benefits programs declines sharply the longer they live in the U.S. A Texas A&M study found that it takes refugees a few years to establish themselves, but they then add more value to the economy each year than the entire original cost of resettling them. Here are some examples of refugees who have contributed to making America a stronger country: the late General John Shalikashvili; Sergey Brin, the cofounder of Google; and former Intel CEO Andrew Grove, the pioneer of the semiconductor industry. And then there s Steve Jobs, the son of a Syrian immigrant. Unfortunately, some have engaged in scare tactics and fear mongering about refugees. One member of Congress even called the resettlement of Syrian refugees a federally funded jihadi pipeline. That is an irresponsible and inaccurate claim. The reality is that refugees are the most carefully vetted of all travelers to the U.S., with extensive biometric, biographic, and intelligence checks involving numerous agencies. Last month I received a classified briefing on the refugee resettlement program. I can t talk about the details of that briefing, but it gave me great confidence in our security screening. I agree with my colleague Lindsey Graham, who said, quote, The risk of doing nothing about the Syrian refugee crisis is greater than the risk of taking vetted people. If any member of Congress has doubts about our refugee resettlement program, they should ask for a classified briefing before making baseless allegations. And they should take the time to meet the Syrian refugees who are being resettled in our country. Last month I met with four Syrian refugees settled in Chicago. Every one of them said they couldn t believe how welcoming the people in America are to them. That s who we are. That s what America is about. Today, I d like to introduce the members of this Subcommittee to Hussam Alroustom. Mr. Alroustom, please stand. Mr. Alroustom fled his home in Homs Syria in 2013 after his house was shelled by a missile from the Syrian Army. He moved into another house with 5 other families and that house was shelled and destroyed as well. He moved to another neighborhood but barrel bombs were being dropped there. Mr. Alroustom then fled Syria with his wife Suha and two children. After a long and difficult journey through the desert, Mr. Alroustom ended up

10 in Jordan, where he applied for refugee status. After a long process, he and his family came to the United States on June 16, Mr. Alroustom now works two jobs, as a mover during the day and a baker at night, in order to support his family. Mr. Alroustom is not a terrorist. And he s not a fiscal drain on our country. We should feel proud that our country has welcomed Mr. Alsoustom and his family. That is what our country s refugee resettlement program is all about. I m sorry that some members of Congress don t understand that, but they will have a real fight on their hands if they break our country s historic commitment to welcoming refugees to our shores.

11 WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF LAWRENCE BARTLETT Director, Office of Refugee Admissions BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR A HEARING ON REFUGEE ADMISSIONS FISCAL YEAR 2016 BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION & THE NATOINAL INTEREST OCTOBER 1, :00 P.M. 226 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 1

12 Testimony of Director of Office of Refugee Admissions Lawrence Bartlett Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Schumer, and distinguished Senators, thank you for holding this hearing and bringing attention to the importance of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Thank you also for the opportunity to appear before your Subcommittee with my colleagues from the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services and to update you on the measures we have taken to protect refugees around the world and provide new homes to some of the most vulnerable. My part of this testimony will address the Department of State s leadership of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Description of the Need According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) latest statistics, there are nearly 20 million refugees in the world. The vast majority of these refugees will receive support in the country to which they fled until they can voluntarily and safely return home. The United States contributes to the programs of UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration, and other international and nongovernmental organizations that provide protection and assistance to refugees until they can return home. In 2014, some 126,800 refugees voluntarily repatriated to their country of origin the lowest recorded number since A small number of refugees may be allowed to become citizens in the country to which they fled, and an even smaller number -- primarily those who are the most vulnerable -- will be resettled in a third country. While UNHCR reports that fewer than 1% of all refugees are eventually resettled in third countries, the United States welcomes over half of these refugees. The crisis in Syria is a dramatic illustration of the humanitarian situation refugees face. Syrians are now the largest refugee population in the world, numbering over four million. Another 7.6 million have fled their homes but are trying to survive inside Syria in other areas. The Government of Turkey estimates that it now hosts almost two million Syrians. Over one million Syrian refugees are living in Lebanon. Jordan hosts over 600,000 Syrians and has established the largest refugee camp in the Middle East to provide temporary protection for tens of thousands. Egypt and Iraq have opened their borders to almost 400,000 Syrians and are providing assistance and protection. In the Syrian context, the impact on hosting communities in countries of first asylum is overwhelming. Schools have moved to double-shifts to accommodate Syrian children. There are water shortages in Jordan and Lebanon. The United States has provided over USD 4.5 billion in humanitarian assistance since the start of the Syrian crisis, including essential needs like food, shelter, health care and education..beyond the clear humanitarian case for resettlement, our resettlement of Syrian refugees helps to promote regional stability. 2

13 The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Since 1975, Americans have welcomed over three million refugees from all over the world. Refugees have built new lives in communities in all 50 states. The United States is proud of its history of welcoming immigrants and refugees. As Secretary Kerry said recently, All of us in positions of responsibility, nations with power and capacity and opportunity, have an obligation to come together and restore hope. As such, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) reflects the United States highest values and aspirations of compassion, generosity and leadership. During its history, the USRAP has responded to changing circumstances. The end of the Cold War dramatically altered the context in which the USRAP operated. The program shifted its focus away from large groups concentrated in a few locations (primarily refugees from Vietnam and the former Soviet Union) and began to admit refugees representing over 50 nationalities per year. In FY 2015 we admitted refugees of 67 nationalities. Resettlement opportunities are focused on refugees who have immediate needs for durable and lasting solutions. While maintaining the United States leadership role in humanitarian protection, an integral part of this mission is to ensure that refugee resettlement opportunities go only to those who are eligible for such protection and who are not known to present a risk to the safety and security of our country. Accordingly, the USRAP is committed to deterring and detecting fraud among those seeking to resettle in the United States and applicants to the USRAP are subject to more intensive screening than any other type of traveler to the U.S. to protect against threats to our national security. The Department of State collaborates with the Department of Homeland Security on this, and also collaborates closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect the health of U.S. - bound refugees and the U.S. public. Refugees resettled in the United States enrich our nation. The USRAP is premised on the idea that refugees should become economically self-sufficient as quickly as possible. The Department of State works domestically with agencies participating in the Reception and Placement program to ensure that refugees receive services in the first thirty to ninety days after arrival in accordance with established standards. During and after the initial resettlement period, the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS/ORR) provides leadership, technical assistance, and funding to states, the District of Columbia, and nonprofit organizations to help refugees become self-sufficient and integrated into U.S. society. To better prepare refugees for arrival in the United States, the USRAP provides several days of overseas cultural orientation where possible. To strengthen the integration of refugees and immigrants and ensure that all community members have the tools and opportunities to fully contribute to the nation, the White House Task Force on New Americans prepared a plan to better integrate refugees and immigrants into American communities. Under this plan, federal agencies are taking actions such as extending competitive grant funding for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country, and providing information and tools to employers about increasing access to ESL courses, education services, and other training programs for immigrant and refugee workers. 3

14 Upon arrival, refugees are immediately eligible for employment, and after one year are required to apply for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident. Five years after admission, a refugee who has been granted lawful permanent resident status is eligible to apply for citizenship. The vast majority of refugees go on to lead productive lives, receive an education and work hard. Some serve in the U.S. military and undertake other forms of service for their communities and our country. Scale and Populations The scale of the USRAP has been adjusted since 1975 in response to refugee needs. At its highest level in 1980, more than 200,000 refugees were admitted to the United States in response to large displacements from Southeast Asia, Cuba, and those fleeing religious persecution from the Soviet Union. After 9/11, arrivals fell dramatically until additional security protocols could be implemented for all U.S. immigration programs. For the past three fiscal years the USRAP has met its target for refugee arrivals, an unprecedented achievement in the program s history. In FY 2016 the program is intended to grow to serve 85,000 refugees, at least 10,000 of whom will be Syrians, in order to respond to the increased needs in the Middle East. We are planning for 25,000 African refugee arrivals in FY Two countries of origin Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will account for the vast majority of refugee admissions from Africa, followed by refugees from Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia. We expect to admit up to 13,000 refugees from East Asia. These will include up to 6,000 members of Burmese ethnic minorities (mostly Karen and Karenni) living in camps along the Thai-Burma border, some 6,000 Burmese (of various ethnic minorities) in Malaysia, and a small number of urban refugees of various nationalities in the region. The allocation for refugees from the Near East and South Asia for FY 2016 is 34,000, including vulnerable Iraqis, Bhutanese, Iranians, Syrians, Pakistanis, and Afghans. Syrian refugees will make up at least 10,000 of this regional allocation. Iraqis who worked for the U.S. military, government, or U.S.-based media organization or NGO will be another important population resettled from this region. We also expect individual UNHCR referrals of members of various religious and ethnic minority groups in the region. The FY 2016 allocation for refugees from Europe and Central Asia is 4,000 individuals. The overwhelming majority of these are expected to be members of religious minorities from Russia and Eurasia processed under the Lautenberg Amendment. While Jews comprised an average of 85% of the applicant pool in the early nineties, Evangelical Christians now make up over 90% of the applicant pool. Applications for the Lautenberg program have increased substantially since the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine. The 3,000 allocation for Latin America and the Caribbean for FY 2016 comprises Cuban refugees eligible for the in-country program; Central American minors eligible for the in-country program; UNHCR-referred Colombians; as well as a small number of family reunification cases. We are holding 6,000 unallocated admissions numbers to be used, if needed, for additional 4

15 refugee admissions from any region. The unallocated numbers would only be used following notification to Congress. Services and Support at the Community Level The USRAP enjoys substantial support from state and local governments as well as community members. The program resettles refugees to 48 states, 173 cities and towns, and 304 sites. As a public-private partnership, it requires the support of American non-governmental organizations, charities, faith-based groups and thousands of volunteers and supporters of the program in hundreds of communities across the country. Recently the Department of State has received an outpouring of interest from individuals, churches, and community organizations wishing to help with Syrian refugee resettlement. Benefits and services for refugees include the Reception and Placement grant provided by the State Department and time-limited assistance programs (up to eight months from arrival) and social service programs (up to five years) funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS/ORR). These programs help refugees find employment, become economically self-sufficient, and integrate into American society. The Administration will continue to explore ways of sustaining a strong federal-state-community partnership and ensuring that refugees can integrate successfully. Conclusion In closing, let me thank you again for holding this hearing. While starting life anew in the United States may be daunting, it also offers hope and unparalleled opportunity. It is a chance not only to escape from violence and persecution but to start again. The assistance the American people provide helps newcomers find their footing and become a part of their new communities. Refugees are not the only ones who benefit; they add to America s vitality and diversity and make substantial contributions to our economic and cultural life. With the continued support of Congress and the American people, refugee resettlement will remain a proud American tradition for many years to come. Thank you. 5

16 WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF BARBARA L. STRACK Chief, Refugee Affairs Division REFUGEE, ASYLUM, AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTORATE U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES and MATTHEW D. EMRICH Acting Associate Director FRAUD DETECTION AND NATIONAL SECURITY DIRECTORATE U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES FOR A HEARING ON REFUGEE ADMISSIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2016 BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION & THE NATIONAL INTEREST OCTOBER 1, :00 P.M. 226 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC

17 Statement of Barbara L. Strack, Chief, Refugee Affairs Division, Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Matthew D. Emrich, Acting Associate Director, Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Schumer, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify at today s hearing on the refugee admissions program, with particular emphasis on Fiscal Year As the Chief of the Refugee Affairs Division within the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Directorate at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), my staff and I work in close partnership with colleagues at the Department of State s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), with other components within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and with colleagues in the law enforcement and intelligence communities to meet the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program s (USRAP) mission to offer resettlement opportunities to eligible refugees while safeguarding the integrity of the program and our national security. As you know, the United States has a proud and long-standing tradition of offering protection, freedom, and opportunity to refugees from around the world who live in fear of persecution and are often left to languish in difficult conditions of temporary asylum. USCIS remains dedicated to fulfilling this mission, in partnership with PRM, and continuing the United States leadership role in humanitarian protection. An integral part of this mission is to ensure that refugee resettlement opportunities go to those who are eligible for such protection and who do not present a risk to the safety and security of our country. Accordingly, we are committed to deterring and detecting fraud among those seeking to resettle in the United States, and we continue to employ the highest security measures to protect against risks to our national security. As a representative of USCIS, I can assure you that this commitment to our humanitarian and national security mandates is shared inside and outside of DHS. The refugee resettlement 1

18 program has forged strong and deep relationships with colleagues in the law enforcement, national security, and intelligence communities and we continue to benefit enormously from their expertise, analysis, and collaboration. It simply would not be possible for us to support a resettlement program of the size and scope that the United States maintains without this critical interagency infrastructure. My testimony today will describe USCIS s role in refugee resettlement generally, and I will discuss the screening measures and safeguards that have been developed by the USRAP and enhanced over time. While many of these enhancements were first deployed in connection with the Iraqi refugee resettlement program, they are now being applied more broadly to applicants of all nationalities, including Syrians who now represent a growing portion of our caseload. DHS and other interagency partners have conducted a number of classified briefings for committee staff on these topics, and I would be happy to follow up with a classified briefing after today s hearing, if that would be useful to the Subcommittee. Refugee Resettlement Case Processing As I mentioned above, the USRAP is a shared operational responsibility of the State Department and USCIS, among other agencies. The State Department is responsible for the overarching coordination and management of the USRAP, including the decision on which refugees around the world are granted access to the USRAP for resettlement consideration. As contemplated by section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, this work is guided each year by a Presidential determination, which sets the refugee admissions ceiling following consultations with Congress. USCIS is responsible for conducting individual, in-person interviews with applicants to determine their eligibility for refugee status, including whether they meet the refugee definition and are otherwise admissible to the United States under U.S. law. 2

19 To maximize flexibility and program integrity, in 2005 USCIS created the Refugee Corps, a cadre of specially-trained USCIS officers who are dedicated to adjudicating applications for refugee status overseas. These officers are based in Washington, D.C., but they travel to multiple locations around the world. In addition, USCIS has a small number of officers posted at embassies overseas who conduct refugee adjudications, and we assign specially-trained officers from other programs such as the Asylum Corps, Office of the Chief Counsel, and Administrative Appeals Office to supplement the Refugee Corps. Using this model, USCIS has been able to respond to an increasingly diverse refugee admissions program, working in 64 countries in Fiscal Year (FY) Recognizing that a well-trained cadre of officers is critical to protecting the integrity of the refugee process, we have focused our efforts on providing the highest quality training to our adjudicators. In addition to the basic training required of all USCIS officers, refugee officers receive five weeks of specialized training that includes comprehensive instruction on all aspects of the job, including refugee law, grounds of inadmissibility, fraud detection and prevention, security protocols, interviewing techniques, credibility analysis, and country conditions research. Before deploying overseas, officers also receive pre-departure training which focuses on the specific population that they will be interviewing. This includes information on the types of refugee claims that they are likely to encounter, detailed country of origin information, and updates on any fraud trends or security issues that have been identified. With the advent of large-scale processing of Iraqi applicants in 2007, USCIS officers who adjudicate Iraqi refugee applications began receiving additional two-day training on country-specific issues, including briefings from outside experts from the intelligence, policy, and academic communities. This training has since expanded to a one-week training in order to include Syria-specific topics as well. 3

20 In order to fully explore refugee claims and to identify any possible grounds of ineligibility, specially-trained USCIS officers conduct an in-person, in-depth interview of every principal refugee applicant. The officer assesses the credibility of the applicant and evaluates whether the applicant s testimony is consistent with known country conditions. These adjudicators also interview each accompanying family member age 14 and older to determine their admissibility to the United States. In addition, refugee applicants are subject to robust security screening protocols to identify potential fraud, criminal or national security issues. All refugee status determinations made by interviewing officers undergo supervisory review before a final decision is made. Refugee Affairs Division policy requires officers to submit certain categories of sensitive cases including certain national security-related cases to Refugee Affairs Division Headquarters to obtain concurrence prior to the issuance of a decision. This allows for Headquarters staff to conduct additional research, liaise with law enforcement or intelligence agencies, or consult with an outside expert before finalizing the decision. Security Checks Security checks are an integral part of the USRAP process for applicants of all nationalities, and coordinating these checks is a shared responsibility between the State Department and DHS. Refugee applicants are subject to the highest level of security checks, and a refugee applicant is not approved for travel until the results of all required security checks have been obtained and cleared. All available biographic and biometric information is vetted against a broad array of law enforcement, intelligence community, and other relevant databases to help confirm a refugee applicant s identity, check for any criminal or other derogatory information, and identify information that could inform lines of questioning during the interview. Biographic checks 4

21 against the State Department s Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS) which includes watchlist information are initiated at the time of prescreening by the State Department s Resettlement Support Center (RSC) staff. In addition, an RSC request Security Advisory Opinions (SAOs) from the law enforcement and intelligence communities for those cases meeting certain criteria. In the fall of 2008, USCIS launched a third biographic check with the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which we now refer to as Interagency Checks or IAC s. Initially the IAC was required only for Iraqi applicants, but the IAC is now required for all refugee applicants within a designated age range, regardless of nationality. In addition, expanded intelligence community support was added to the IAC process in July In 2015, all partners coordinated to launch IAC recurrent vetting. With recurrent vetting, any intervening derogatory information that is identified after the initial check has cleared but before the applicant has traveled to the United States will be shared with USCIS without the need for a subsequent query. In addition to these biographic checks, biometric checks against three sets of data are coordinated by USCIS, using mobile fingerprint equipment and photographs which are typically collected at the time of the USCIS interview. These fingerprints are screened against the vast biometric holdings of the Federal Bureau of Investigation s Next Generation Identification system, and they are screened and enrolled in DHS s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT). Through IDENT, applicant fingerprints are screened not only against watchlist information, but also for previous immigration encounters in the United States and overseas including, for example, cases in which the applicant previously applied for a visa at a U.S. embassy. Starting in 2007, USCIS began to work with the Department of Defense (DoD) to augment biometric screening by checking against the DoD Automated Biometric Identification 5

22 System (ABIS). ABIS contains a variety of records, including fingerprint records captured in theatre in Iraq, and it is a valuable resource to identify a wide array of relevant information. Today, ABIS screening has been expanded to refugee applicants of all nationalities who fall within the prescribed age ranges. In addition to the existing suite of biometric and biographic checks that are applied to refugees regardless of nationality, USCIS has instituted an additional layer of review for Syrian refugee applications, taking into account the myriad actors and dynamic nature of the conflict in Syria. Before being scheduled for interview by a USCIS officer in the field, Syrian cases are reviewed at USCIS headquarters by a Refugee Affairs Division officer. All cases that meet certain criteria are referred to the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) for additional review and research. FDNS conducts open-source and classified research on referred cases and synthesizes an assessment for use by the interviewing officer. This information provides case-specific context relating to country conditions and regional activity, and it is used by the interviewing officer to inform lines of inquiry related to the applicant s eligibility and credibility. Throughout the review process of Syrian refugee applicants, FDNS engages with law enforcement and intelligence community members for assistance with identity verification, acquisition of additional information, or deconfliction to ensure USCIS activities will not adversely affect an ongoing law enforcement investigation. When FDNS identifies terrorismrelated information, it makes the appropriate nominations or enhancements to the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE), using standard interagency watchlisting protocols. Additionally, USCIS drafts and disseminates reports to U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies alerting the interagency to information that meets standing intelligence information requirements. 6

23 USCIS continues to work with DHS s Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and intelligence community members to identify options for new potential screening opportunities to enhance this already robust suite of checks. Finally, in addition to the checks that I have described, refugee applicants are subject to screening conducted by DHS colleagues at U.S. Customs and Border Protection s National Targeting Center-Passenger and the Transportation Security Administration s Secure Flight program prior to their admission to the United States, as is the case with all individuals traveling to the United States regardless of immigration program. The Refugee Admissions Pipeline Given the wide geographic scope of the USRAP, including remote and sometimes dangerous locations, and the complexities of refugee resettlement processing, USCIS coordinates closely with PRM to develop a schedule for refugee interviews each quarter of the Fiscal Year. This yields a pipeline of refugee applicants who can be admitted to the United States, once all required security checks, medical examinations, and other pre-travel steps are completed. In FY 2015, USCIS officers conducted refugee status interviews for applicants from 67 countries. The leading nationalities admitted to the United States were Burmese, Iraqis, and Somalis, as the multi-year program for Bhutanese nationals in Nepal continued its downward trend. Admissions from Africa continued their multiyear increase, notably including larger numbers of Congolese from the Great Lakes region of Africa and resumed processing of Darfuri Sudanese in Eastern Chad. Refugee processing operations in the Middle East, which have been primarily focused on Iraqi nationals since 2007, expanded to include a larger number of Syrian referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As of late September 2015, the USRAP has received approximately 19,000 referrals of Syrian applicants from UNHCR, 7

24 primarily in Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt. The USRAP continues to interview large numbers of Iraqi applicants in these same three locations, and has also resumed processing Iraqi nationals in Baghdad in spring 2015, after a break in operations since June USCIS was not able to work in Lebanon in FY 2015 but for one exceptional, one-officer visit due to space constraints at the embassy, where officers both live and work due to the security conditions. In Fiscal Years 2013, 2014, and 2015, USCIS and the State Department have succeeded in meeting the annual refugee admissions ceiling of 70,000. This accomplishment reflects a worldwide commitment to refugee protection, as well as intense and committed efforts by all the interagency partners to improve, refine, and enhance the security vetting regime for refugee applicants, while maintaining its integrity and rigor. We will continue these interagency efforts to improve the quality and efficacy of the USRAP security screening regime, including progress toward more automated processes. USCIS is prepared to work closely with the State Department and other interagency partners to support a larger refugee admissions program of 85,000 arrivals in FY 2016, including at least 10,000 Syrian refugees, while assiduously maintaining the integrity of the program and our national security. I would be happy to answer your questions. 8

25 Statement by Robert Carey Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement Administration for Children and Families U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Before the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest United States Senate October 1, 2015

26 Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Schumer, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to discuss the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) responsibilities in facilitating the resettlement of refugees in the United States. My name is Bob Carey and I am the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Prior to coming to HHS, I served as the Vice President of Resettlement and Migration Policy at the International Rescue Committee, leading the agency s advocacy on refugee, immigration, anti-trafficking, and community development policy issues. In my current position, I oversee ORR s programs, which provide new populations with the opportunity to maximize their potential in the United States. In my testimony today, I will describe the role that HHS plays in relation to refugee resettlement. Role of the Office of Refugee Resettlement The Refugee Act of 1980 established ORR within HHS, and outlined the United States commitment to humanitarian relief through resettlement of persons fleeing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Since the passage of the Act, over three million refugees from more than 70 countries have been given safe haven in the U.S., along with the possibility of a new beginning, and freedom from persecution and displacement. In addition to refugees, ORR serves other humanitarian immigrants, including Cuban entrants, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking. ORR s mission is to link these newly-arrived populations to key resources to maximize their potential in the U.S., and to become integrated and successful members of American society. 2

27 The Departments of Homeland Security, State, and HHS work together to advance America s humanitarian response to refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. In fiscal year (FY) 2014, nearly 140,000 individuals were eligible for resettlement services through ORR programs. ORR programs help refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, victims of torture, foreign-born victims of human trafficking, and special immigrant visa holders to become employed and self-sufficient as quickly as possible after their arrival. Iraq was the country of origin for the largest number of refugee arrivals between FY 2009 and FY Approximately 98,000 refugees came from Iraq, followed by 97,000 from Burma, 73,000 from Bhutan, 34,000 from Somalia, 23,000 came from Cuba and the remainder totaling 78,000 came from other countries. Refugee arrivals in FY 2014 included 20,000 from Iraq, 15,000 from Burma, 9,000 from Somalia, 8,000 from Bhutan, and 5,000 from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The remaining 13,000 arrivals came from 52 other countries. ORR carries out its mission to serve refugees through various grants and services, administered by state governments and non-profit organizations, including faith-based groups, and an extensive public-private partnership network. Through these grants, ORR provides time-limited cash and medical assistance to newly arrived refugees, as well as case management services, English as a Second Language classes, and job readiness and employment services all designed to facilitate refugees successful transition and integration into life in the United States. ORR understands that refugees arrive with distinct skills and experiences, and we strive to provide the 3

28 benefits and services necessary to leverage those capacities to help refugees and other eligible populations quickly become self-sufficient and integrated members of American society. To ensure a successful transition, ORR funds support transitional and medical services for individuals still within their first eight months who are determined not eligible for Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Medicaid. Through programs administered by states and by voluntary organizations under the Wilson-Fish Programs, ORR provides cash and medical assistance to eligible populations for up to eight months after their arrival in the U.S. In addition, ORR funds foster care programs for unaccompanied refugee minors, certain minors granted special immigrant juvenile status, and unaccompanied minor victims of a severe form of trafficking. A portion of new entrants participate in the Voluntary Agency Matching Grant Program rather than the refugee cash assistance program discussed above. Through the Matching grant program, ORR funds U.S. voluntary resettlement agencies to assist refugees in achieving economic selfsufficiency by providing services such as case management, job skill development, job placement and follow up, and interim housing and cash assistance, to help refugees become employed and self-sufficient within their first four months in the U.S. Support may be extended up to six months on a case-by-case basis if deemed necessary. Participating refugees may not access other public cash assistance if they choose to participate in the matching grant program. This employment-focused case management model has proven to be effective in helping refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency. In FY14, the program served 29,686 refugees, asylees, entrants, and special immigrant visa holders, and reports economic self-sufficiency rates 4

29 of approximately 76 percent for refugees at 180 days after arrival. Given the proven success of the program, the President s Budget proposes a $22 million increase to the FY 2016 Matching Grant program to serve an additional 10,000 eligible individuals. ORR also provides funds to state governments and private non-profit agencies to support social services including English language courses, employment services, case management, social adjustment services, and interpreter services. These funds are allocated to states based on a formula tied to the prior two years of arrival data that accounts for refugees and other entrants movements to other states after their initial resettlement. Targeted Assistance grants are provided to states with qualifying counties that have high numbers of refugee arrivals. States are required by statute to pass on to counties that house significant refugee populations at least 95 percent of the funds awarded through these grants. Services provided by this program are generally designed to help refugees secure employment within one year or less of arrival. ORR programs also support economic development activities. These programs focus on financial literacy, establishing credit, and matched savings in support of housing purchases, educational goals, car purchases essential to employment, and hundreds of business startups that in turn employ thousands. ORR recognizes that many individuals resettling to the U.S., including refugees and other entrants, have experienced torture. For this reason, treatment and services are provided through 5