Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida says radical jihadists are using the refugee crisis as a cover to send terrorists to the West and that it’s impossible for the United States to vet some Syrian migrants.
The debate over President Barack Obama’s plans to accept 10,000 refugees from Syria over the next year is reaching a fever pitch in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, with many Republicans questioning whether the United States can adequately screen Syrian refugees. Rubio says that it may be easy to vet a young orphan or a well-known priest, but the U.S. has no way of knowing if someone has recently become radicalized.
He supports creating safe zones in Syria, and encouraging other Middle Eastern countries to play a greater role in taking refugees.
Republished with permission of the Associated Press.