State Dept. on Syrian Refugees: ‘They Are Not Tracked’ After Being Admitted

SMITH: “But Miss Richard, my question to you is this. This year, we have admitted 1,700 refugees from Syria already just in the last several months. How many of those 1,700 refugees have been arrested for committing a crime?” 
RICHARD: “So, we’ve brought 1,700 in the last fiscal year, which ended September 30th.”
SMITH: “Right.”
RICHARD: “2,000 since the start of the crisis. As far as I know, none have been arrested, unless you have contradictory information.”
SMITH: “OK. And do you track all the refugees from Syria, including the 1,700, so you would know if -–“
RICHARD: “No, we do not track them after the first three months in the United States.”
SMITH: “Then how do you know whether they’ve been arrested for committing a crime?”
RICHARD: “I rely on the law enforcement agencies to tell us.”
SMITH: “OK. And so far as you know none of the 1,700 have been arrested?”
RICHARD: “That’s right. I haven’t heard of any.”
SMITH: “As far as stopping of the tracking after three months, are you going to stop tracking the 10,000 proposed to be admitted next year after three months, and then 20,000 perhaps the year after? When do you — are you going to stop tracking these individuals as well?”
RICHARD: “Once refuges are in the United States, after a year of being here, they become legal, permanent residents."
SMITH: "Right."
RICHARD: "And after five years, they’re allowed to take the —“ [crosstalk]
SMITH: “I understand that. I’m talking about the early period.”
RICHARD: “— and because of that, they are treated pretty much like ordinary Americans, and they are not tracked.”
SMITH: “OK. Right. But what I’m saying is, are they treated any differently than any other refugees? Do you consider them to be any more of a threat than other refugees or not?”
RICHARD: “Well, they’re not treated differently than other refugees.”
SMITH: “OK. I think most people would consider to be Syrian refugees about whom we have already heard —“ [crosstalk]
RICHARD: “I guess Syrians are less of a threat, actually, because they fled their country, they [indecipherable] —“