(CNS News) -- When asked if he was confident that Afghan refugees brought to the United States posed no threat to Americans, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said, “Not remotely. I think they’ve done an exceptionally poor job of vetting.”
At the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, CNS News asked the senator, “Are you confident the Biden administration has sufficiently identified and vetted all the Afghans it has brought to the U.S. and that none will pose a threat here?”
Cruz said, “Not remotely. I think they’ve done an exceptionally poor job of vetting. We already know that they have brought in individuals who were meaningful security threats, and they have also brought in numerous adult men with young girls who they claim are their brides.”
“We’re hearing growing reports of child brides, young girls who are being sexually assaulted by Afghan men after being evacuated to America by the U.S. State Department,” he added.
According to the U.S. State Department, about 24,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States, and most of those are being housed on military bases. Another 23,000 Afghans are at U.S. bases in Europe, and 20,000 more Afghans are in Asia.
It is expected that at least 50,000 Afghans will be processed into the United States over the coming months, according to the Wall Street Journal, "but it may take weeks or months for them to arrive as they undergo security screenings."
In a Sept. 3 statement, House Rep. Chris Smith (r-N.J.) said, "In welcoming Afghan evacuees to the U.S. — and out of abundance of respect and concern for all Americans as well as genuine refugees — it remains absolutely essential that comprehensive and effective vetting occurs to ensure that no terrorist surreptitiously slips into any American community."