I am an Immigration Officer who works with DHS and has worked extensively with our refugees/Asylees. There's a lot of misinformation out there on BOTH sides. AMA

Me personally, doing this for 15 years, am not worried about the refugee program. I believe the refugee program may bring some people over that might get radicalized HERE and go on to do some bad shit, but I don't think it will be the vessel to bring actual terrorists to the U.S.

LEt me explain, The refugee program is quite possibly our most scrutinized program right now. It probably gets the msot attention and most vetting, way more than regular visas, way more than the fiance visa that the San Bernadino shooters wife came over on, way more than all the other programs.

On the flip side of this, it is fairly easy to utilize a smuggler to get you from one of these "banned" countries, take you to Europe or South America, then fly or drive you to Mexico to eventually cross the border to claim asylum at our border (whether you walk up to a customs officer at the ports of entry, or a border patrol officer between the ports of entry). THIS IS THE REAL THREAT. These people throw out EVERYTHING before they make it to the U.S. They have no identity documents, sometimes get rid of their belongings, and are coached on what to say and how to say it. And we are REQUIRED by law to allow them into the U.S. (detained or non-detained) to see an Asylum Officer and an Immigration Judge before while "vetting" is done.

So out of those two routes, which way do you think the terrorist is coming?

/r/AMA Thread Parent