House leaders warn administration over Libyan travel to U.S.

A coalition of House members sent a letter to Secretary of State Jeh Johnson on Friday regarding the member’s concerns over ISIS expansion in Libya.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-TX), House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) sent the letter, with support from colleagues.

“We are writing to express our deep concern with the growth of ISIL in Libya and ask that you use the authority recently granted to you by Congress to make individuals who travel to the North African country ineligible for visa free travel to the United States,” the letter said. “ISIL is exploiting the collapse of central authority and the proliferation of militias to create a safe haven in the energy-rich country… These brutal terrorists now control hundreds of miles of Libyan coastline in and around the seaport city of Sirte – just 300 miles from Europe.”

The letter added that the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS Brett McGurk testified to the Foreign Affairs Committee that ISIS had raised a flag in Libya, drawing recruits in rapidly.