The House Homeland Security chief has claimed that the "intelligence community'' has obtained specific proof indicating that the Obama government is "covering up evidence" that the Islamic State (ISIS) has been trying to infiltrate the country's refugee programme to gain access to the U.S. homeland.
Speaking at the National Defense University, Rep. Michael McCaul said ISIS members have been trying to use the refugee programme to enter the U.S. but that President Barack Obama is keeping the information secret from the American public, WND reported.
"ISIS members in Syria have attempted to exploit it to get into the United States," McCaul said. "The U.S. government has information to indicate that individuals tied to terrorist groups in Syria have already attempted to gain access to our country through the U.S. refugee programme.''
The House Homeland chief did not divulge specific information. He said his sources are "elements of the intelligence community,'' according to The Hill.
He also described the source who informed him about the ISIS attempts to infiltrate as a "brave patriot."
"That was very courageous for them to come forward with this, to tell me about this personally, given the political debate on the Hill."
The revelations were made as Obama intends to increase the number of asylum seekers coming into the U.S. from 70,000 a year to 85,000 this year, and 100,000 the following year. Almost all of the refugees resettled in the U.S. are hand-selected by the United Nations refugee agency.
At least half of all refugees come from Muslim-dominated countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries with active jihadist movements, reports said.
As early as January, McCaul has been warning that Obama's refugee plan could be exploited as a "back door for jihadists'' into the U.S. The programme has been sending roughly between 40,000 and 150,000 foreign refugees to American cities per year over the past 35 years.
Clare Lopez, vice president of research and analysis for the Center for Security Policy in Washington, meanwhile, said there is now an urgent need to address the threat given that the plan could endanger the security of the homeland.
"Ignoring it while continuing to plan for an influx of thousands of Syrians and others whose jihadist affiliations – never mind sympathies – are a strong potential risk is irresponsible and needlessly endangers U.S. national security here – at home, in communities where we live," she said.
Lopez said a moratorium on all refugee resettlements from Muslim countries is the only answer at this point. "The best course of action at the moment is to pause indefinitely all refugee resettlement as well as all immigration from regions rife with jihad."
