Secure Refugee Process Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-4079
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
Introduced: 2015-11-19
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration

Congressional oversight

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Government studies and investigations

Immigration status and procedures

Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Latest action: action_date: 2015-12-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-11-19
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Secure Refugee Process Act of 2015</strong></p> <p>This bill declares that no alien shall be admitted as a refugee: </p> <ul> <li>whose identity has not been satisfactorily established pursuant to Department of Homeland Security procedures, which shall address any insufficient, conflicting, or unreliable information, including biographic and biometric data that is unresolved at the time of admission; and </li> <li> if, by the time of admission, the alien's identity has not been checked against specified federal records or databases to determine any national security, criminal, or other grounds on which the alien may be inadmissible. </li> </ul> <p>An alien may only be admitted as a refugee after DHS certifies that all provisions of this Act have been complied with and that the alien has not been firmly resettled in a safe third country.</p> <p>DHS shall report to Congress monthly regarding the total number of refugee applicants of special interest and the number of such applicants whose applications were denied. </p> <p>The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct an annual risk-based review of a sampling of certifications and report its findings to Congress.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4079 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 19, 2015 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi (for himself, Ms. Lofgren , Mr. Conyers , Mr. Gallego , Mr. Ted Lieu of California , Mr. Moulton , Ms. Duckworth , Mr. Smith of Washington , and Mr. Schiff ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To require that supplemental certifications and identity verifications be completed prior to the admission of refugees, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Secure Refugee Process Act of 2015 . 2. Supplemental limitations on admission of refugees (a) Identity verification required No alien shall be admitted as a refugee, until the alien has satisfactorily established his identity pursuant to procedures established by the Secretary of Homeland Security, which shall address any insufficient, conflicting, or unreliable information, including biographic and biometric data that has not been resolved at the time of admission. (b) Comprehensive review of refugees To identify security threats to the United States No alien shall be admitted as a refugee, if, by the time of admission, the alien’s identity has not been checked against all relevant records or databases maintained by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General (including the Federal Bureau of Investigation), the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, and other Federal records or databases that the Secretary of Homeland Security considers necessary, to determine any national security, criminal, or other grounds on which the alien may be inadmissible to the United States. (c) Certification required An alien may only be admitted to the United States as a refugee after the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that all provisions of this Act have been complied with and that the alien has not been firmly resettled in a safe third country as described in section 208(b)(2)(A)(vi) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (d) Monthly report to Congress The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the appropriate Congressional Committees a monthly report on, for the month preceding the date of the report, the total number of refugee applicants of special interest and the number of refugee applicants of special interest whose applications were denied. (e) Inspector General review The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall conduct an annual risk-based review of a statistically valid sampling of certifications and provide an annual report detailing its findings to the appropriate Congressional Committees. (f) Definition In this Act: (1) The term appropriate Congressional Committees means— (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; (B) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; (D) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; (E) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; (G) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; (H) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives; (I) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; (J) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; (K) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (L) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. (2) The term refugee applicant of special interest means any alien applying for admission to the United States as a refugee who— (A) is a national or resident of Iraq or Syria; (B) has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq or Syria; (C) has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011; or (D) meets any other criteria the Secretary deems appropriate.