The U.S. and refugees: the Obama administration admitted 12,500 Syrians last year and set a goal of accepting more in 2017.

• Author: Smith, Patricia
• Position: Brief article

In September 2015, as thousands of migrants fleeing the war in Syria were dying in the Mediterranean Sea, President Barack Obama promised that the United States would do its part and accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year.

Although the resettlement process was slowed by security checks, the U.S. met its goal this past August. By October 1, the U.S. had admitted 12,500 Syrian refugees, and set a goal of accepting even more over the next year.

However, accepting the Syrian refugees has stoked controversy. Critics say that terrorists might be let in along with the refugees. And refugee advocates say that America should be accepting far more Syrian refugees, considering the scale of the crisis in Syria and the huge number of refugees flooding into countries in the Middle East and Europe. By comparison, Canada has so...