Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) released a statement on Wednesday regarding Canada’s plan to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February.
At a hearing entitled “Canada’s Fast-Track Refugee Plan: Unanswered Questions and Implications for U.S. National Security,” members heard testimony regarding the refugee program, as well as highlighting the need to ensure that the northern border of the United States is secure.
“The purpose of this hearing is taking a look at a potential threat,” Johnson said. “We’ve had 13 hearings on border security here in terms of our southern as well as our northern borders and our maritime border… Islamic terror represents a threat. This is real, it is growing — this is a legitimate concern. We are all compassionate. We want to solve these problems. We also have to recognize our responsibility doing everything we can to keep our nation safe and secure.”
Johnson called for caution as Canada prepares to admit 25,000 refugees by the end of February and 50,000 refugees by the end of 2016.
Johnson pointed out that the U.S. refugee vetting process takes between 18-24 months to properly vet individuals and that officials must make judgements on each person admitted.