US Eases Immigration Rule for ’Terrorist’ Support

Local Editor

The Obama administration has eased the rules for would-be asylum-seekers, refugees and others who hope to come to the United States or stay here and who gave "limited" support to the so-called "terrorists" or "terrorist groups".

The change is one of President Barack Obama's first actions on immigration since he pledged during his State of the Union address last month to use more executive directives.

The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department now say that people considered to have provided "limited material support" to "terrorists" or "terrorist" groups are no longer automatically barred from the United States.

The Homeland Security Department said in a statement that the rule change, which was announced last week and not made in concert with Congress, gives the government more discretion, but won't open the country to terrorists or their sympathizers.

People seeking refugee status, asylum and visas, including those already in the United States, still will be checked to make sure they don't pose a threat to national security or public safety, the department said.

In the past, the provision has been criticized for allowing few exemptions beyond providing medical care or acting under duress. The change now allows officials to consider whether the support was not only limited but potentially part of "routine commercial transactions or routine social transactions."

"Refugee applicants are subject to more security checks than any other category of traveler to the United States," Homeland Security spokesman Peter Boogaard said. "Nothing in these exemptions changes the rigorous, multilayered security screening we do."

In late 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Services said about 4,400 affected cases were on hold as the government reviewed possible exemptions to the rule. It's unclear how many of those cases are still pending.
Sen Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the rule change will help people he described as deserving refugees and asylum-seekers.
"The existing interpretation was so broad as to be unworkable," Leahy said in a statement. He said the previous rule barred applicants for reasons "that no rational person would consider."

Republican lawmakers argued that the administration is relaxing rules designed by Congress to protect the country from "terrorists".

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team