Legion Troll
A fine upstanding poster
Obama said recently that "the idea that somehow refugees pose a more significant threat than all the tourists that pour into the United States every single day just doesn't jibe with reality."
38 nations, including most of Europe, are visa waiver countries. It's a largely hassle-free way to come to the U.S. for tourists and businesspeople. You'll need to answer a few questions on a form on the Internet and have a passport with a digital photograph.
Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says the process has gaps. She calls it "the soft underbelly" of America's national security. She and other lawmakers are worried about the thousands of Europeans who have gone to Syria to fight alongside ISIS. They return to France or Belgium, say, and with no screening could then easily hop on a flight to the U.S.
Feinstein is proposing legislation to tighten the visa waiver program and attempt to keep those foreign fighters out. The bill would require people who have traveled to Syria or Iraq in the past five years to go through an interview in order to get a U.S. visa.
The Obama administration says it's open to amending the program.
The Department of Homeland Security did tighten the program earlier this year, including requiring foreign travelers from waiver countries to carry passports with biometric data embedded on computer chips.
Roger Dow, the U.S. Travel Association's CEO, warns against making any major changes.
http://www.npr.org/2015/11/20/456715124/4-things-to-know-about-visa-waivers-and-security
