Syria has been in a civil war for the past five years, which has taken the lives of at least a quarter of a million people in the country. The war was started by a group of rebels, who do not support the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. They started with peaceful protesting after the arrest of 15 school-children. These children were tortured for putting anti-government graffiti on the walls. The protests were calling for the release of these kids and for a greater freedom. The government did not take well to these protests, and began to open fire on March 18, 2011. This day was a start to a war with no end.

The war has extended over into neighboring countries such as Iraq. Iraq is also known for its extremists and violence. All the countries in the war have come together to form a group known as the Islamic State. This is a radical group that has maliciously pushed its views onto others. Through the chaos of Syria’s war the Islamic State has been able to take land and gain power in these new areas.

Because of the war, millions of Syrians have fled their homes to escape the danger that is present. Many citizens have migrated to the countryside in search of safety. These people that have been forced to leave their country are known as refugees. This war has one of the largest refugee movements in history. Many countries have started to accept a specific amount of refugees. Most countries want to help those in search of a better life achieve that dream.

However, America has made it extremely difficult for refugees to come over. Most governors of states will not accept refugees because they are too great of a risk to the state’s population. Many Americans fear they will damage national security. Obama stated that these refugee laws are “un-American.” America should stand by those who are innocent and forced out of their homes. Refugee processing needs to be conducted in an orderly manner. America lives in fear of a possible terrorist attack and allows this fear to control its ability to help refugees. This ultimately makes the process harder for refugees seeking asylum. America’s goal to keep terrorists out of the nation’s borders has lead to a push to create a more rigorous immigration process, but making the process harder would make it close to impossible for anyone to come over. With Obama’s presidency at an end, the country is faced with a new immigration platform as proposed by President Donald Trump.

President Trump has discussed his views on this issue throughout his campaign. He wants to suspend the immigration of these refugees, and plans on making the process extremely difficult. He wants refugees to submit a form stating they share the same values and love all of our citizens. They will be asked about their opinions on controversial topics such as gender, homosexuality, and minorities. They will also be asked about their views on ISIS and the situation in Syria.

Trump often claims that we Americans don’t know who these refugees are. Through the rigorous process proposed the country  will be able to learn who they are. This screening takes up to 18 months to 2 years. It also involves many federal intelligence and security agencies.Trump expresses his big anxieties over our national security and more terrorists attacks. Because of this crippling fear he has made the refugee screening nearly impossible. America has accepted close to 12,000 Syrian refugees since the war began almost 6 years ago. This rate is very low compared to the other countries also committed to helping Syrians. Our acceptance rate is anticipated to decline now that Trump is in charge. Now that most countries have taken in as many refugees as they can, Syrians have nowhere to turn to.