American SAFE Act of 2015

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SAFE Act
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Long titleAmerican Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015
Acronyms (colloquial)SAFE
NicknamesAmerican SAFE Act of 2015
Announced inthe 114th United States Congress
Sponsored by Michael McCaul
Number of co-sponsors103
Codification
Agencies affected FBI, Department of Homeland Security, National Intelligence Program
Legislative history

The SAFE Act (full title American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015) was a United States legislative proposal for Syrian and Iraqi refugees that would require extra background investigation before entry into the US.

Contents

Additional procedure to authorize admission for each refugee [1]

The bill was first introduced in the House on November 17th, 2015, H.R. 4038 by Michael McCaul. [1] It was passed by the House, but on January 20th, 2016 it failed cloture in the senate (also known as a filibuster.) [2]

Background

The SAFE Act was created in response to the November 2015 Paris attacks, out of concern that ISIL terrorists would enter the United States posing as refugees fleeing Syria. [3]

Criticism

FBI Director James Comey said the SAFE Act "seeks to micromanage the process in a way that is counter-productive to national security, to our humanitarian obligation, and the overall ability to focus on Homeland Security". [4]

Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini pointed out that the Paris attackers were EU citizens, not Syrian refugees. [5]

Barack Obama threatened to veto the legislation if passed. [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 "H.R.4038 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)". Congress.gov. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  2. "American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 (2016 - H.R. 4038)". GovTrack. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  3. "House votes to curb Syrian refugees, snubs Obama veto threat". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 Perez, Evan (19 November 2015). "First on CNN: FBI Director James Comey balks at refugee legislation". CNN.com. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  5. Porter, Tom (November 17, 2015). "Paris attacks: Police arrest man carrying same passport as one found near suicide bomber". International Business Times. Retrieved 1 November 2017. It is all EU citizens so far. This can change with the hours, but so far it is quite clear it is an issue of internal domestic security.