I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4143 
To temporarily restrict the admission to the United States of refugees from 
countries containing terrorist-controlled territory. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 1, 2015 
Mr. DESANTIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To temporarily restrict the admission to the United States 
of refugees from countries containing terrorist-controlled 
territory. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Terrorist Refugee In-
filtration Prevention Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) COUNTRY
CONTAINING
TERRORIST-CON-
TROLLED
TERRITORY.—The phrase ‘‘country con-
taining terrorist-controlled territory’’ means— 
(A) Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and 
Yemen; and 
(B) any other country designated by the 
Secretary of State pursuant to section 4(a). 
(2) REFUGEE.—The term ‘‘refugee’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101(a)(42) of the 
Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(42)). 
(3) SUBSTANTIAL
ASSISTANCE.—The phrase 
‘‘substantial assistance’’ means a level of assistance 
without which the United States could not achieve 
the purposes for which the assistance was provided 
or sought. 
(4) VICTIM OF GENOCIDE.—The term ‘‘victim 
of genocide’’ has the meaning given the term in Arti-
cle II of the United Nations Convention on the Pre-
vention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 
opened for signature in Paris on December 9, 1948. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON REFUGEES FROM TERRORIST- 
CONTROLLED TERRITORIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, an 
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alien may not be admitted to the United States under sec-
tion 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1157) if the alien is a national of, has habitually resided 
in, or is claiming refugee status due to events in any coun-
try containing terrorist-controlled territory. 
(b) EXCEPTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An alien otherwise prohib-
ited from admission to the United States under sub-
section (a) may be admitted to the United States 
under section 207 of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157) if the alien clearly proves, 
beyond doubt, that he or she— 
(A) satisfies the requirements for admis-
sion as a refugee; and 
(B) is a member of a group that has been 
designated by the Secretary of State or by an 
Act of Congress as a victim of genocide. 
(2) NATIONAL
SECURITY
THREAT.—An alien 
may not be admitted under paragraph (1) unless— 
(A) the alien has undergone the highest 
level of security screening of any category of 
traveler to the United States, including assess-
ments by the Department of State, the Depart-
ment of Defense, the Department of Homeland 
Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
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Terrorist Screening Center, and the National 
Counterterrorism Center; 
(B) full multi-modal biometrics of the alien 
have been taken, including face, iris, and all 
fingerprints; and 
(C) the Secretary of State, the Secretary 
of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity, the Director of the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation, and the Director of National Intel-
ligence certify that such alien is not a threat to 
the national security of the United States. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—Subsections (a) and (b) shall 
not apply to any alien seeking admission under section 
207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1157) if the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, 
the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of 
National Intelligence certify that the alien— 
(1) provided substantial assistance to the 
United States; and 
(2) would face a substantial risk of death or se-
rious bodily injury because of that assistance if not 
admitted to the United States. 
SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 
(a) IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER COUNTRIES.—In ad-
dition to the countries listed in section 2(1)(A), the Sec-
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retary of State may designate, as a ‘‘country containing 
terrorist-controlled territory’’, any country containing ter-
ritory that is controlled, in substantial part, by a Foreign 
Terrorist Organization, as designated by the Secretary of 
State under section 219 of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189), to the exclusion of that coun-
try’s recognized government. 
(b) LIST OF COUNTRIES CONTAINING TERRORIST- 
CONTROLLED
TERRITORY.—The Secretary of State 
shall— 
(1) maintain and continually update a list of 
the countries containing terrorist-controlled terri-
tory; and 
(2) continuously make available the list de-
scribed in paragraph (1)— 
(A) on the Secretary’s Web site; 
(B) to the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity; 
(C) to Congress; and 
(D) to the public. 
(c) VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE.—The Secretary of State 
shall— 
(1) identify all groups that are victims of geno-
cide; 
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(2) maintain and continually update a list of 
the groups that the Secretary or Congress has iden-
tified as victims of genocide; and 
(3) continuously make available the list de-
scribed in paragraph (2)— 
(A) on the Secretary’s Web site; 
(B) to the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity; 
(C) to Congress; and 
(D) to the public. 
(d) NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT.—The Secretary 
of State may refuse to designate a group for the exception 
under section 3(b)(1)(B) if the Secretary determines that 
the group poses a substantial security risk to the United 
States. 
SEC. 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SECRETARY OF HOME-
LAND SECURITY. 
(a) RULEMAKING.—The Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity shall issue regulations to implement section 3 as 
soon as practicable. 
(b) LIMIT OF ALIEN ASSERTIONS.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security may not admit any alien into the 
United States under this Act solely based on the assertions 
of such alien. 
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(c) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity shall coordinate with the Secretary of State, the 
Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence 
to substantiate, as much as reasonably practicable, the as-
sertions made by aliens seeking admission to the United 
States. 
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE PERIOD. 
This Act shall be effective during the 3-year period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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