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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) today chided House Judiciary Committee Republicans for propagating growing xenophobia by taking up a bill that would treat refugees like criminals, re-victimizing people who have already suffered unthinkable atrocities.

“Many refugees are women and children fleeing violent situations. They are simply looking for a safe place to go,” DelBene said. “We don’t need to close our doors to refugees to keep Americans safe. That’s not who we are as a nation, and we as policymakers should reflect our longstanding American values. It’s extremely disappointing that the House Judiciary Committee is perpetuating hateful, xenophobic sentiments by considering a bill that treats these victims like criminals.”

On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee marked up the Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act, which would cap the number of refugees entering the United States at 60,000 and allow state and local governments to keep refugees out of their communities. The bill would also authorize three years of surveillance for refugees admitted to the United States.

DelBene opposed the bill and offered an amendment to strike the sections that provide for three years of unlimited surveillance on admitted refugees. The amendment failed on a party-line vote.

Video from the hearing can be found HERE.

The United States screens all refugees for 18-24 months before they set foot on U.S. soil. The current screening process involves multiple federal intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies, and includes biometric and biographic checks, medical screenings and lengthy interviews.

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