When President Obama invited a Syrian refugee to watch his State of the Union Address in person last Tuesday, he all but guaranteed the controversy over admitting refugees into the United States will be a major theme of the 2016 presidential election.
From Syrians fleeing their country's civil war to Central Americans escaping their countries' drug wars, the U.S. has faced a rush to its borders that has sparked a heated political debate.
On one side, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslim immigrants and the GOP-controlled House passed a bill to halt the Syrian and Iraqi refugee programs. Their reason: the federal government needs to upgrade its screening of refugee applicants to ensure that terrorists aligned with the Syria-based Islamic State don't sneak into the U.S.
On the other side, the Obama administration says refugees already are vetted thoroughly, and Democratic presidential candidates say the U.S. needs to remain a refuge for those fleeing for their lives. They argue that the current vetting process is already sufficient, and, as proof, point to the fact that no refugees have committed acts of terrorism in the U.S.
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