Immigration into the U.S. from predominately Islamic countries has doubled in more than a decade and that number continues to rise. Some find this number alarming given recent terrorist events worldwide.
The U.S. Census fact-finder data base shows the immigrant population from predominately Muslim nations skyrocketed from 1.7 million in 2000 to 2.7 in 2013. That's roughly 10 percent of the U.S. immigrant population. That number has raised some concerns.
Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) is worried. "I think it's entirely possible that certain individuals would come here in order to do harm," he said.
The sharpest increase of immigrants coming from the Muslim world are from volatile countries like Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The president of the Free Muslims Coalition Kamal Nawash says there's a good reason for that.
"People who leave a particular country that has instability generally leave that particular country because they don't want to be around that instability," says Nawash. "They want to have nothing to do with it."
Still lawmakers say the White House has relaxed stringent immigration laws already in place to vet all individuals of any ethnicity arriving on our shores.
Congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania says in these times, immigration regulations must be followed to the letter. "Regardless of what your ethnicity is, I think we need the proper vetting system in America to make sure that the people who come here for whatever reason they stay; don't have nefarious intentions."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it's immigration vetting process is faster and more accurate than pre-9-11. Its website states "The improved and expanded DHS and Department of State systems capture the same information for individuals, regardless of nationality."
Kamal Nawash says the negative rhetoric regarding Muslims coming here legally in record numbers is extremely misplaced. "This is like a scare tactic that's inconclusive," says Nawash. "It doesn't mean anything."
Source : SBG
