Bowling Green Today

On May 2, 2024, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) joined U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and 33 other Republican Senators in urging President Biden to halt plans to welcome Gazan refugees into the United States. The senators expressed concerns over potential terrorist ties among the refugees and emphasized prioritizing the rescue of American citizens held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

"Your administration’s reported plan to accept Gazan refugees poses a national security risk to the United States," the senators wrote. "With more than a third of Gazans supporting the Hamas militants, we are not confident that your administration can adequately vet this high-risk population for terrorist ties and sympathies before admitting them into the United States."

A recent poll indicated that over 70% of Gazans viewed Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel as justified. The senators highlighted this statistic to underscore their concerns about admitting individuals with potential terrorist affiliations.

"We must ensure Gazans with terrorist ties or sympathies are denied admission into the United States—no easy feat, given the fact that the Gazans were the ones who voted Hamas into power in 2006," they added. "Without thorough vetting, your administration may inadvertently accept terrorists posing as refugees into the interior."

The lawmakers cited data from Fiscal Year 2023, during which border officials arrested 169 people on FBI terror watch lists—a record number surpassing totals from the previous six fiscal years combined. Among those apprehended was a Hezbollah fighter intending "to make a bomb" en route to 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?" they questioned.

To mitigate what they perceive as a national security threat, the senators requested detailed information from President Biden regarding refugee acceptance numbers, screening processes, costs to taxpayers, consultations with regional partners, and planned locations for housing refugees.

The full letter is available for public viewing.

###