Article
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/22/opinions/reyes-syria-refugees/index.html
On Thursday, the House passed a bill that would suspend the president's plan on granting asylum to thousands of Syrian refugees next year. In addition to retaining the current system of multiple departments and agencies investigating refugees for two years before deciding whether or not to admit them, the bill also would require the heads of the nation's various security agencies to sign off on every single refugee's case before they'd be allowed to enter the U.S.. President Obama, of course, has promised to veto this bill.
The Republican-controlled House's action on the issue of refugee admission connects to the recent statements by thirty-one state governors who have vowed to not let refugees enter their states, as well as various Republican presidential candidates opposing letting in more Syrians (despite policies regarding immigration is under federal authority). The Republicans as a whole seem to believe that the massive influx of refugees could be taken advantage of by terrorists and used as a "trojan horse" into the U.S..
The Democrats, on the other hand, find that barring refugees from settling in America is contradictory to the country's values. Many do not see the refugees as being a significant potential threat, using the argument that terrorists could theoretically enter the country through easier means than as a refugee. In addition, Democrats believe that granting asylum to refugees would help the U.S. in its cause against ISIS, while not letting them in would only help the Islamic State, which tries to make Muslims believe that they are outcasts from the West.
Question
How do you see the issue with the bill playing out within the near future (e.g. possible legislative branch overriding veto, states filing lawsuits, Supreme Court intervention, etc.)? What are your opinions on the issue of immigration in terms of federal and state power? In what way will the executive branch's bureaucracy's activities and effectiveness be influenced should the bill end up getting passed, and furthermore, how do you predict the U.S.'s position on Syrian refugees to further affect its stance on foreign policy and combating terrorism?
Due to the fact that immigration is a federal issue, it will ultimately come down to congress and the president. The divided government will cause nothing to happen. Obama will veto any legislation preventing immigrants from entering and Congress won't pass any bills helping them enter. Eventually it will be too late and it won't be a problem. Republicans will win it out of sheer determination and patience. For a pro-immigration bill to be passed, it would require a large amount of lobbying and promises to convince the very conservative congress.
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