The debate of refugees, has been a debate that has recently caused tension throughout our country. With all the disasters and terrorist attacks, many people say that we should limit or even not allow any refugees in the country.  Ismael Einashe, a somalin refugee, writes about the struggle of being a refugee. In her article, she directly targets travel barriers and how every time she travels she must pass more tests the than the average American and often cannot travel due to travel bans.  Einashe states that these travel bans are ridiculous and should be taken away. These travel bans are an example of Trump trying to limit the number of refugees in the country. So, the question must be asked: Should we limit the number of Refugees allowed in the Country?  I believe that many factors must be taken into consideration when considering this question. The American Government should limit the number of refugees allowed in the country due to the security and health risks they pose and the economic instability they bring.

Refugees have shown time and time again they can be a risk to the security of this country. Allen Thomas writes about this in his article, “Refugees Are a Significant National Security Threat.”, in which he talks about Refugees and the Patriot Act.  The Patriot Act allows us to ensure the safety of our citizens by doing a background check on anyone who enters the country. However, refugees do not have to pass this.  The Patriot Act does not pertain to refugees and therefore dangerous refugees could come into our country without us even knowing.  So, I ask you the question: What is the point of this law, if it does not do its one purpose?  This kind of danger is a danger that the American government must take precautions against.  There are many solutions to this. One solution is making refugees pass the Patriot Act before allowing them into the country. This would rid the country of essentially most of the danger posed against it. Even with fixing the Patriot Act to where refugees must pass it, there will still be dangers. Danger to the United States cannot be entirely removed. Another risk that refugees tend to pose is the health of the American people. Andreas Eiset writes about this in his article, "Review of Infectious Diseases in Refugees and Asylum Seekers-Current Status and Going Forward.", in which he states the risks of bringing refugees into the United States. He talks about different diseases refugees could potentially bring into our country if the American Government is not careful. Our first objective as the United States should be to protect our own people first, then others. We cannot do this if we are allowing several refugees whom may carry a number of diseases into this country. President Trump has already made moves to decrease the number of refugees allowed in the United States. Vivian Yee walks us through this in her article, "Trump Policy Blocks Obama-Era Path to U.S. For Central Americans.". Since 2014, Immigrants from Central America have been able to get “parole” where they could work in the United States. This caused an overflow of refugees, mainly children, whom all originally didn’t qualify for immigration. Therefore, when Trump became president, he ordered that this “pathway” to immigration be taken away. This would ultimately lead to the decrease of refugees allowed into the country, and would ensure a safer country.

The economy is another factor that is greatly affected by refugees. Thomas Allen argues this topic very well in his article, "The United States Should Limit the Number of Refugees Entering the Country.". In this article, Thomas Allen talks about how refugees often come into the country and receive everything the average citizen does, except they do not give back. This term is referred to as a free rider. Most of these refugees are free riders and therefore hurt our economy as they take all our resources. These resources include health care, social security, and others. These types of resources cost us millions of dollars. The American Government cannot afford to keep handing out money as if it grows on trees. If refugees are to receive these benefits, they must be able to help the economy in some way. While it is important to help the world and people in need, we must also be smart with our money. Therefore, we should try to limit the amount of money we pour into these refugees unless they start to give back to the economy in some sort of way. Another way refugees hurt the economy is by taking jobs away from Americans. For the government to give these refugees their “parole”, we must first open the spots for them to work. These jobs could be given to an American citizen who sits on the streets asking for a meal. We must focus on the poverty in our own country before we focus on the problems of other countries. Our focus must lean towards Americans first as they are the priority. The government needs to make sure that they are not bringing in too many refugees to where they are just taking from the economy and not actually giving any; and make sure that they take care of Americans in need before refugees. 

Some disagree saying that refugees need us, and that it is our calling as the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world to help them. Fred Bemak mentions this in his article, "Refugee Trauma: Culturally Responsive Counseling Interventions.".  He talks about the trauma that many refugees face escaping countries full of war and terror. He specifically refers to rape, war, and terror, all things that we cringe thinking about. He then talks about how they need medical treatment and a safe place to be after all the trauma they have been through. I agree with Bemak, we do need to help refugees. Refugees face many terrible tragedies in their lives that we do not have to face. We, as Americans, are lucky because we get freedom to believe and be whatever we want. Most countries around the world do not have these types of freedom. In helping these refugees, we must also not allow too many refugees in the country. An overflow of refugees could bring multiple issues including overpopulation, or a drop in the economy. Mark Lepore gives us a solution to this economic decline in his article, "Adventures in America: Easing the Transition of Refugees in School and Community.". Lepore talks about how we should help these refugees get in school and ultimately create success for themselves. He argues that while there may not be any immediate reward for this, this will help them get jobs in the future and ultimately boost our economy. While this might boost the economy for a short period of time, it would cost many Americans their jobs ultimately leading to a decline in the economy. Again, I am not saying that the government should not allow any refugees in the country, but instead should have control over the situation. Our country cannot afford to take chances with another terrorist attack. While some refugees are just trying to flee these war zones, others are using it to get into the United States and to hurt America as a whole. The government should first be able to look after the American people, and then refugees. 

Refugees is a very sensitive topic and will continue to be for many more years. The American Government must continue to search for the right number of refugees to bring into this country. While it is sad what is going on around the world, we must not forget whom we defend first, and that is the American people. The safety of the American people physically and economically comes before the safety of those around the world. The American Government should continue to decrease the number of refugees allowed in this country.

