Dear Mr. President,

Immigrants and refugees that can possibly pose a threat to innocent U.S. citizens should not be entering our country too easily. Unfortunately a lack of background checks and thorough investigations has caused many people to be killed or injured which needs to come to an end. This past year on September 17, Ahmad Khan Rahami set off bombs in New York and New Jersey fatally injuring 29 people. A year before this event, Rahami was investigated by the FBI after he was found writing a journal about killing unbelievers. This is just one of the many times that somebody has passed investigations and later committed acts of terrorism.

I am aware that you don’t believe that refugees should be allowed into our country but I think that their case is so serious that they need a safe place. According to The Huffington post,” In the fourteen years since 9/11, the United States has taken in 784,000 refugees, only three of whom have been arrested for terrorist-related activities. Those odds predict that less than one of the 10,000 Syrian refugees will be a terrorist.” I am in third committee JMUN which deals with human rights and I know that there are many Syrian families with children that are in great danger. “Hosein is an Afghan Civil Engineer student. He was born in Iran and along with his mother and sister, they sailed off from the Turkish coast heading for Samos Island in Greece. Their boat sunk at high seas on 11 July 2014 and his mother and sister are missing. Hosein and his three other sisters, two in France and one in Germany, have left no stone unturned in trying desperately to find a clue that would lead them to their beloved ones.” On the UNHCR, this story was shared about this family.

Although I think it is necessary that refugees have a safe place, for the 10,000 syrian refugees that are terrorists, I think that we need better investigations and background checks. If we can come up with stronger, more secure background checks than many tragic accidents would be prevented.

Another example of a time when failed investigations led to tragic acts of terrorism was the san bernardino shootings which killed 14 people and injured 20. Stephen F. Hayes noted,“ Law enforcement officials in San Bernardino and Los Angeles may have investigated Syed Farook one week before the shooting on the community development center on December 2, 2015…” These are easily preventable situations that could save many lives. In 2015, 28,328 people worldwide died due to a terrorist attack. All over America people have lost loved ones because of failed or not detailed enough investigations, and not a strict enough vetting process.

This could not be solved by sitting and watching these terrorists harm people that do not deserve it. We need to take action by enforcing stricter laws during the vetting process and doing all we can to only allow refugees looking for a better life into our country. Although I know that there is not a way to know 100% whether the refugee is a terrorist or not, there are ways that we can increase the chance of figuring out whether or not they should be able to come into the United States. As a Third World Country we are depending on you to make a difference and keep us safe. Make America Great Again.

Sincerely,

Claire Handler