I have not forgotten. I read. as all of us do. about terrorism in the United States and what it does to innocent people in San Bernardino and in many other places. But to exclude Syrian and Iraqi refugees and to say that we are not going to allow any of them to come in or put them through a standard of proof that we know makes it next to impossible is unfair and inconsistent with the values of the United States. I made a point of meeting these Syrian refugees and their families who have made it here. I have invited my Governor in my State of Illinois and my colleagues to do the same: Get beyond the screaming rhetoric of the Presidential campaign and sit down and listen to their stories. They will realize that these are people who are desperate. who are looking for just an opportunity to be safe. Yesterday. a number of them came to my office. Othman Al Ani. originally from Baghdad in Iraq. arrived in the United States in the year 2013. How long did it take him to clear the background check as a refugee? Four yearsit took 4 years. He now works as a caseworker for the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society.
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refugees refugee