Maine Gov. says case of local ISIS fighter shows need for immigration overhaul
Citing the case of a Maine refugee who became radicalized and joined ISIS last year, Maine Gov. Paul LePage called for sharper screening of all immigrants on Tuesday, the Portland Press-Herald reports.
LePage, who has endorsed Donald Trump and introduced him at several Maine rallies, said that the Obama administration’s immigration policies have been an “utter failure.” LePage and Republican congressman Bruce Poliquin called on federal officials to tighten their screening process for immigrants, the Press-Herald reports.
The criticisms came after federal documents revealed the story of Adnan Fazeli, an Iranian refugee who came with his family to Freeport, Maine in 2009. Fazeli became radicalized while living in Maine, spending hours watching Islamic videos online, according to an affidavit from an FBI task force.
Fazeli then abandoned his wife and kids and flew to Turkey in August 2013 to join and fight alongside ISIS, according to the affidavit. He was killed in Lebanon in 2015.
The FBI task force investigated whether anyone knew of Fazeli’s plans or aided him in making the trip to join ISIS. That investigation ended with no charges, the Press-Herald reports.
The affidavit relies on the stories of four anonymous informants who spoke to the FBI about Fazeli’s conversion over the previous months. One of those informants was his nephew Ebrahim Fazeli, the Press-Herald reports.
LePage’s criticisms of U.S. immigration policy did not specify what part of the current refugee screening process, which takes about two years to conduct, would need to be changed. He also did not explain how tightening that process would have prevented Fazeli’s radicalization, which occurred in Maine.
“The screening process of immigrants has failed and will continue to place Americans at risk,” LePage said. “We cannot afford to harbor radical Islamic sympathizers on our watch. We have an upcoming election, which is pivotal in addressing U.S. foreign policy and immigration laws, and two presidential candidates who are on opposite sides of the fence.”
You can read the full report at the Portland Press-Herald.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com