Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) are renewing their call for the Obama administration to reveal the immigration histories of individuals recently implicated in terrorism.
“The American people are entitled to information on the immigration history of terrorists seeking to harm them,” the pair wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Sec. Jeh Johnson, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday.
Cruz and Sessions first called on the administration to provide the immigration histories for 72 terrorists five months ago. Since then they have identified another 41 individuals recently implicated in Islamic terrorism.
“It has now been approximately five months since we sent our first letter, and we still do not have the requested information – despite the occurrence of a terrorist attack in San Bernardino carried out by a Muslim migrant and the child of Muslim migrants,” Sessions and Cruz wrote.
Cruz and Sessions note that of the 113 terrorism-implicated individuals, at least 14 were admitted as refugees, many were approved for citizenship, and others were the U.S.-children of immigrants.
“The resources spent every year investigating the countless number of immigrant terrorist suspects in the United States are astronomical. And yet, as this costly and dangerous status quo continues, the U.S. continues to admit approximately 680,000 migrants from Muslim countries every five years,” they wrote.
This is the third letter Sessions — the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest — and Cruz — the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts — have dispatched requesting terrorist-implicated immigration histories. The first letter was dispatched in August, and the second was dispatched in December.
Read the letter:
Dear Attorney General Lynch, Secretary Johnson, and Secretary Kerry:
On August 12 and December 3, we sent letters requesting that you provide basic information regarding the immigration histories of 72 individuals in the United States who have been identified as having an affiliation with Islamic terrorism. It has now been approximately five months since we sent our first letter, and we still do not have the requested information – despite the occurrence of a terrorist attack in San Bernardino carried out by a Muslim migrant and the child of Muslim migrants.
We have now identified an additional 41 individuals, bringing the total to 113 individuals who have been implicated in Islamic terrorism in some manner since early 2014. Of these 113 individuals, at least 14 were initially admitted to the United States as refugees. Many more came through other immigration programs. A number of immigrant terrorists were even approved for citizenship. Others are the U.S.-born children of foreign migrants whose presence in the country would not be possible but for the immigration of their parents.
The resources spent every year investigating the countless number of immigrant terrorist suspects in the United States are astronomical. And yet, as this costly and dangerous status quo continues, the U.S. continues to admit approximately 680,000 migrants from Muslim countries every five years.
The American people are entitled to information on the immigration history of terrorists seeking to harm them.
Therefore, please complete the attached chart – which has been updated since August – in addition to responding to our previous letters. Additionally, for any similar cases that arise between the date of this letter and the date of your reply, please include the pertinent information for those cases in the attached chart, and please provide a complete, unredacted copy of the Alien File for any non-citizen or naturalized citizen.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. Please contact our staffs if you have any questions regarding this request.
Very truly yours,
Jeff Sessions
United States Senator
Ted Cruz
United States Senator
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